Adam Ondra clinches victory in IFSC’s return to Meiringen

THE FIRST PODIUM FOR THE MEN’S 2021 IFSC BOULDERING WORLD CUP SEASON. PHOTO: JAN VIRT/IFSC.

IFSC’s Bouldering World Cup series saw a warm return to Meiringen, Switzerland last weekend after a long break due to coronavirus restrictions. Over 100 athletes participated in the qualification round on Friday, but by 1 pm on Saturday that number had been whittled down to this round’s 6 finalists. This group was composed of four members from the Japanese team, including first-time finalist Sohta Amagasa, Nathaniel Coleman for team USA who put on an impressive show in qualifiers, and the ever-popular Adam Ondra rounding out the group.

Coleman commented on the return to competitions after such a long break, especially in light of coronavirus restrictions that had meant the US team had less time to adjust to jet lag: “It was really good for me to get back into the competition mindset with our team trials which were not too long ago, physically I feel as good as ever so it was good for me to have a good day in qualifiers and know I’ve still got it”

The long competition break wasn’t going to stop IFCS’s route-setters from throwing the finalists into the deep end on the first problem, requiring them to push off a slight overhang and get a footing on two tiny footholds, then grasp 2 vertical slopers, which proved challenging for the climbers as they needed to balance a powerful ascent with precision to get the zone and even more so to complete the top. Some climbers used too much power and ended up swinging right off the wall with some force. Tomoaki Takata attempted an unusual toe hook approach to the problem but was still ultimately unsuccessful. Even fan favourite Adam Ondra called it quits after just a few runs at it.

By far the standout in the first problem was the Japanese team’s own Yoshiyuki Ogata who displayed excellent power and dynamism and achieved the only top of the first round with Tomoaki Takata as the only other competitor to achieve at least a zone.

JAPAN’S YOSHIYUKI OGATA PUT ON AN IMPRESSIVE SHOW IN MEIRINGEN. PHOTO: JAN VIRT/IFSC.

“I bet we won’t see a flash”, IFCS guest commentator Staša Gejo boldly claimed as she introduced the second problem, dubbing it “the attempt killer”, a claim that wasn’t unfounded: a daunting slab which required some precise footwork and long reach, including use of both small finger pockets and a couple of large, uncomfortable dual texture holds. Team Japan’s Kokoro Fujii bounced back after the first round by achieving the zone but wasn’t able to overcome the second half of the problem. Team USA’s Nathaniel Coleman and Japan’s Sohta Amagasa also made good progress, the latter in particular making the zone seem effortless, but they too moved on with just the zone.

The biggest difficulty with this problem appeared to be a lack of friction, with some of the athletes slipping off while being very tight to the wall, and some being apprehensive to use the footholds for their lack of stability. The pressure was on for Adam Ondra; he needed a top here to catch up after the first problem and, despite some struggles getting the zone, he became the only finalist to complete the full problem.

The third wall required the athletes to reach two crimp holds with no real footholds, then jump up to a dual-texture hold similar to the previous round with a controlled toe catch, then with one final push reach the top. In a complete change of pace from the previous round, Kokoro Fujii made quick work of the problem, displaying the balance of control and power demanded and so obtaining his first top of the finals.

The toughest part of the problem was how limited the athletes were on leg power: with minimal footholds anywhere on the wall, they had to rely almost wholly on arm and finger power, making controlling the toe catch quite daunting with Nathaniel Coleman and Sohta Amagasa both taking a couple of nasty falls attempting it. Yoshiyuki Ogata had difficulties adjusting to the problem but towards the end of his allotted time managed to achieve his second top of the finals while Tomoaki Takata made up some much-needed ground by achieving a top after a few attempts. Adam Ondra made use of his height advantage in this round, at first attempting to lock in the toe hook before jumping from the crimps, but in the end was more successful with the method the others had used of jumping before the toe catch, which proved easier thanks to his long legs and so he also achieved his second top.

The route setters certainly weren’t letting the athletes off yet, with the final problem being even more demanding than the previous three and one that would put their endurance to the test: Three vertical jugs, leading up to a huge boulder with a tricky angled undercling. From there the climbers were expected to use the large boulder to power up to the top with very little in the way of footholds. Due to the demanding nature of the problem on the athlete’s bodies, they realistically only had a couple of attempts at the final problem within their allotted time. Kokoro Fujii carefully considered his options but was only able to come away with one last zone for the competition. Nathaniel Coleman took one attempt that saw him pressing his face into the large rock for leverage but took a fall. Coleman used the majority of his remaining time to recuperate and then pushed through, managing to secure his first top of the finals.

With Adam Ondra’s now two tops putting the pressure on the top spot, this was a key round for Yoshiyuki Ogata. But the endurance necessary for this problem wasn’t going to make that easy, and despite multiple attempts, Ogata finished with just the final zone. Tomoaki Takata and Sohta Amagasa both made good progress on the final problem but they also walked away with just a zone each. The pressure was building. If Adam Ondra could secure a top here he would win, but if not, it could come down to whoever had the fewest attempts across the competition. Fortunately, Ondra was very familiar with that pressure. After an initial first attempt, the 28-year-old Czech dug his shoulder into the boulder, leveraging himself with his knee beneath the undercling, and pulled himself up to a third top and secured his victory.

ADAM ONDRA CELEBRATES TOPPING PIVOTAL FINAL PROBLEM. PHOTO: JAN VIRT/IFSC.

Speaking to IFCS’s Matt Groom, Adam Ondra reflected on the competition, stating that, despite no spectators being allowed to attend, “the competitors themselves, and the MC, made such amazing vibes’’ which shows how strong the sense of camaraderie is within the competitive scene. He went on to describe his stellar final top as “an explosion of emotions”. The final results for the Men’s final were Adam Ondra in first place with 3 tops and 3 zones in 15 attempts, Yoshiyuki Ogata in second with 2 tops and 4 zones in 17 attempts, and Tomoaki Takata in third with 1 top and 4 zones in 21 attempts.