News IFSC Boulder World Cup Meiringen 2021 (Rnd 1): Report

It's hard to believe that the last IFSC Boulder World Cup was 22 months ago in Vail, Colorado in June 2019. A whole season was lost to the pandemic in what should have been the biggest year in competition climbing to date. Tokyo 2020 became Tokyo 202(0ne), and goalposts and priorities shifted with it. Last weekend, the much-loved IFSC circuit stop of Meiringen in Switzerland marked a long-awaited return to normality of sorts, albeit with masked faces, eclectic music choices and minimal spectators. The event also offered a chance for Tokyo-qualified athletes to gauge their level, while the next generation of athletes could finally burst onto the scene.