Shauna Coxsey has become the second British climber to win a World Championship medal, placing 3rd in the Boulder World Championships in Hachioji, Japan, today. Having come close in Munich in 2014 - where she placed 4th - and missed Paris 2016 and Innsbruck 2018 due to injury, Shauna's return to form comes at a crucial moment, with her result counting towards possible Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification. Dave Barrans came 3rd in 2009 Boulder World Championships in Xining, making Shauna the second GB climber to reach the top 3 in a Boulder World Championship.

Tomorrow marks the start of the Lead World Championships qualifications, where Shauna will be competing for a place in the semi-finals. The Speed event starts on Saturday 17th August, with Combined qualifications starting on Sunday 18th August. Since positions are multiplied to create a Combined ranking for the Combined finals, competitors will be aiming to place as high as possible across all three disciplines for a chance to compete in the finals and make the top 7 for possible Tokyo 2020 Olympic selection. For more information on how Olympic selection works, read our article.

By securing a high ranking in the Boulder event, Shauna is now in a strong position to make the top 20 cut across all three disciplines, depending on her results over the next few days. Slovenia's Janja Garnbret became the first woman in history to retain an IFSC World Championship title, earning her second Boulder World Championship win. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN) placed 2nd in front of a home crowd.

Nathan Phillips (GBR) finished 18th in the men's Boulder semi-final.

Full report on the Boulder event by IFSC commentator Charlie Boscoe to follow.