[cha1n]

It was fairly evident that the guy didn't even know what a dropknee or a toehook was until he picked the terms up from Fanny. There was a funny section where Fanny didn't know the English word for matching and asked him and he just repeated her question and then changed the subject. Seriously, get a climber to commentate.

[PipeSmoke]

He's annoying after just ten seconds introducing epictv vids , who thought it was a good idea to put him on commentary for that length of time .

[Danny]

Will someone who cares please do a Pearson's correlation on semi rank vs final rank for, say, 2015. If it's significantly negative
don't tell Jens. If it's NS or significantly positive, tell Jens. 

Jens on 8a.nu is talking his normal bollocks

I sometimes wonder if his "upside down theory" has a small element of truth.

I think more than anything the holds being consistently used for 20 odd minutes beforehand plays a big part in this, I mean even if they are getting brushed they're still going to heat up and world cup holds don't tend to be very incut...

Jens talks bollocks because he cherry picks his stats and ignores all other considerations.

Eg 1 the stats will not show that if Ty had done P4 1st or 2nd try then he won thus disproving the upside down nonsense.

Eg 2 Shauna has won 4 times now, twice from 1st in the semi, once from 5th and once from 6th. Hardly conclusive evidence for anything other than the theory is there is bugger all correlation between start position and final ranking.

Eg 3 In the CWIF you know that you are either getting the slab in the semi or in the final (likewise with the vert return on the other side). So if you get the slab in the semi and are good at them then you might qualify highly but do badly in the final because your forte is missing. This type of thing happens at most World Cups

[Muenchener]

There is also the fact that no one who doesn't climb is going to watch a climbing comp, by that I mean with no association to climbing. So why do they cater primarily for these people? Fair enough if it's part of some massive thing, say the olympics, but it never is.

And only a tiny minority of climbers too in my experience. I can't think of anybody apart from me in my circle of regular climbing partners who follows or gives a shit about comps, and I only follow or give a shit about bouldering. Otoh the live audience turnout at events in Munich is usually pretty large, so maybe my mates aren't typical.

[jwi]

Will someone who cares please do a Pearson's correlation on semi rank vs final rank for, say, 2015. If it's significantly negative
don't tell Jens. If it's NS or significantly positive, tell Jens. 

Anyone who interacts in any way with eight-a dot new or Jens is a fool.

[slackline]

Will someone who cares please do a Pearson's correlation on semi rank vs final rank for, say, 2015. If it's significantly negative don't tell Jens. If it's NS or significantly positive, tell Jens. 

Knock yourself out

[Durbs]

Broadcasting issues aside (I didn't watch live, but the catch up video starts halfway through M1...) good start to the season.

I'm not as annoyed with this commentator as previous ones ("Shouty One" or "Non-Shouty One") though to echo everyone else surely there's someone out there with a good knowledge of climbing and who can talk into a mic coherently? Liam Lonsdale? Jon Pass Babtridge?

Men's was tense to the end, thought Ty was going to steal it at the end but alas no. Both Ty and Melissa seemed to be some of the few who actually get angry with failure (Ondra too but he wasn't in it). Lots of shoe-throwing going on from Ty - who throws a shoe?

Women's was quite a surprise. Akiyo not only looked tired, but wasn't reading beta well, didn't look herself at all? Laurel resting or an off day? Next week will show. Janja looked either gassed or just didn't have the raw power in the first place - she's so slender compared to the others... Enjoyed the mantle (W3?) - we've all been there.

I think I mentioned after the Rockstars (or Legends Only... the one where Janja destroyed everyone), although it was a thrashing, she was competing against a recently recovered Stoher, a non-comp ready Shauna, a no-longer-competing Wurm and an only-just-competed La Neve so might have skewed the results slightly.

Side-note: Is Pooch not competing this year or just not that round?

[battery]

I suspect Pooch is still in rehab from her knee injury. She has been doing a bit outdoors and a few comps in America but may be she's not ready for the world cup stage.

[benno]

I think the setting was a factor in Janja's uninspiring showing. There were a few long moves that must have made it harder for her. The start of the mantle problem and the last slab come to mind, not that anyone climbed the latter. I was rooting for Ty, but it seems that people who qualify really highly don't have as much left in the tank on finals day. There's probably a lot to be said for having enough comp experience to dose your effort correctly.

[r-man]

I can't think of anybody apart from me in my circle of regular climbing partners who follows or gives a shit about comps, and I only follow or give a shit about bouldering. Otoh the live audience turnout at events in Munich is usually pretty large, so maybe my mates aren't typical.

Seems like a lot of the people at the wall are really into it. Which is maybe where most climbers are these days? Amongst people who actually go outside regularly, there doesn't seem to be as much interest, though amongst people I know there are definitely a few fans.

Broadcasting issues aside (I didn't watch live, but the catch up video starts halfway through M1...) good start to the season.


Women's was quite a surprise. Akiyo not only looked tired, but wasn't reading beta well, didn't look herself at all? Laurel resting or an off day? Next week will show. Janja looked either gassed or just didn't have the raw power in the first place - she's so slender compared to the others... Enjoyed the mantle (W3?) - we've all been there.

I think I mentioned after the Rockstars (or Legends Only... the one where Janja destroyed everyone), although it was a thrashing, she was competing against a recently recovered Stoher, a non-comp ready Shauna, a no-longer-competing Wurm and an only-just-competed La Neve so might have skewed the results slightly.

For my sins, I watched the semis. all of those excuses the other competitors might have had in the legends only event were null and void. Jar jar crushed. She chalked up on several problems mid crux, made everything look casual, and staticked moves the other top girls were snatching at. She looked like she did in that other comp - a level above everyone else. Her performance in the finals was a big surprise. Maybe she struggles to handle two sessions in one day?

it seems that people who qualify really highly don't have as much left in the tank on finals day. There's probably a lot to be said for having enough comp experience to dose your effort correctly.

this doesn't make a lot of sense. the winners of the semis will have done the problems in the fewest goes, thus having spent the least effort.

Tyler didn't look that tired - I think the problems just didn't suit him as well as the semis problems.

[a dense loner]

There doesn't seem to be that much comp watching interest at the wall I go to

[benno]

... the winners of the semis will have done the problems in the fewest goes, thus having spent the least effort.

Good point!

[Danny]

20 minutes of looking at and tabulating all 2015 results gives me a weakly positive but non sig correlation between semi rank and final rank. Inappropriate linear model added for the crack.
Quite happy with that bit of procrastination actually.

[Danny]

NB: I got some possibly inaccurate ranks for one event (Toronto I think) because I just lifted them from the youtube vids and they were having trouble with the display thingy. Couldn't be arsed to check properly, but in any case I can't see it changing anything.

[Coops_13]

Report up: http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=70402

[fatneck]

Mrs and I watched the semis and finals (not live we were out climbing  ) and weren't as captivated as previous years - probably lots of reasons for this - however, enjoyed overall. Great to see Shauna look so strong and Mellisa (hottest competitor by far) do so well! Looking forward to Japan... 

[Muenchener]

Mellisa (hottest competitor by far)

Jessica Pilz!

[GraemeA]

Mrs and I watched the semis and finals (not live we were out climbing  ) and weren't as captivated as previous years - probably lots of reasons for this - however, enjoyed overall. Great to see Shauna look so strong and Mellisa (hottest competitor by far) do so well! Looking forward to Japan... 

Obviously you weren't as captivated as you weren't catching fleeting glimpses of yours truly flitting around :-)

[GraemeA]

Mellisa (hottest competitor by far)

Jessica Pilz!

Anna Laitinen? (Normally doesn't get through the quals)

Piccy at the bottom of http://onbouldering.com/european-bouldering-championship-2013-qualifiers/

[Muenchener]

Mellisa (hottest competitor by far)

Jessica Pilz!

Anna Laitinen?

We may have a winner.

Perhaps we we could have some kind of special thread for pictures of the best-looking boulderers 

Wouldn't necessarily have to be restricetd to the ladies: Jan is a decent looking chap for example.

[36chambers]

Mellisa (hottest competitor by far)

Jessica Pilz!

Anna Laitinen? (Normally doesn't get through the quals)

Ty Landman for me.

[bigironhorse]

Footage from qualifying

[fatneck]

Obviously you weren't as captivated as you weren't catching fleeting glimpses of yours truly flitting around

This is true, although the back of Glennie's head was quite amusing. Will you be there to liven things up in Japan Graeme?

[GraemeA]

Nope, I have a bad back/hip/leg due to sciatica & possibly failed surgery so have had to cancel the 1st half of the season, can't be lugging stuff around airports 

Hopefully be okay for Chamonix onward including Munich and Paris

[fatneck]

Dude! Sounds grim... Best of luck with recovery and hope to see your ugly mug on screen again soon