[fatneck]

Gutted for Ondra but yes, exceedingly exciting finale!!!

[crimpinainteasy]

That was intense

[mr chaz]

Not even the best all rounder, that's Dave Mac

[galpinos]

I'm also loving Jakob blowing smoke up Alberto as they walked out. Great to see that camaraderie.

[User deactivated.]

Excellent. Now can they all get back to crimping in limestone caves?

[gme]

I really hope all the naysayers eat there words as that was amazing. As good as nearly every event in the games.

Two outsiders getting top spots and the last climber settling it all getting himself a bronze.

Amazing route setting. Amazing event. Climbing as a sport has really arrived.

And despite what everyone was moaning on about, the only section that really struggles to work as a spectator event is the bouldering, which must be like watching paint dry to a non climber.

The speed was mint and the combined format should stay, just make moaning Megos train it a bit if he wants to win. The youngsters will be doing it from day one so once the old guard die off it will fit right in.

[teestub]

I thought Jakob was just psyched to top the route, makes way more sense now! What a crazy unpredictable format, very entertaining, if slightly random.

Feel a bit sorry for Tomoa

[Aussiegav]

Wholly agree with what Gav said above.
That was awesome.

[JamieG]

Interestingly if you just add the positions. Everyone gets 12, except Schubert on 13 and Tomoa on 11. Multiplication separates them out way more but places a huge emphasis on winning at least 1 event.

EDIT - was super exciting end to it all I have to say. I was weirdly nervous. Don't know why.

[Wellsy]

I'm really happy for Alberto Gines Lopez. What a day that kid must be having. Good for him.

[Will Hunt]

If we exclude the nonsense of speed, as of course we should, the medalists are:
Schubert and Coleman tied for gold.
Duffy and Ondra tied for bronze.

I'll let someone else figure out how to split them.



Amazingly exciting final lead comp - just a shame that so much hinges on speed and the head-to-head format, which basically makes it a Random Winner Generator.

[crimpinainteasy]

I think it will be down to the wire tomorrow as well. If Janja makes a mistake in lead then Chaeyun might take gold.

[James Malloch]

I really hope all the naysayers eat there words as that was amazing. As good as nearly every event in the games.

Two outsiders getting top spots and the last climber settling it all getting himself a bronze.

Amazing route setting. Amazing event. Climbing as a sport has really arrived.

And despite what everyone was moaning on about, the only section that really struggles to work as a spectator event is the bouldering, which must be like watching paint dry to a non climber.

The speed was mint and the combined format should stay, just make moaning Megos train it a bit if he wants to win. The youngsters will be doing it from day one so once the old guard die off it will fit right in.

Yep - really enjoyed it. Been gripped the last 3 days. Roll on tomorrow!

[gme]

I thought Jakob was just psyched to top the route, makes way more sense now! What a crazy unpredictable format, very entertaining, if slightly random.

Feel a bit sorry for Tomoa

Unpredictability is the thing that makes sport amazing. 

[Somebody's Fool]

I actually thought the head to head was good because it was a good test of performance under pressure. Quite a few rounds went against form or what you thought would/should happen. The person with best technique/execution prevails over someone faster on paper.

[User deactivated.]

If we exclude the nonsense of speed, as of course we should, the medalists are:
Schubert and Coleman tied for gold.
Duffy and Ondra tied for bronze.

I'll let someone else figure out how to split them.



Amazingly exciting final lead comp - just a shame that so much hinges on speed and the head-to-head format, which basically makes it a Random Winner Generator.

French 9B+ vs Font 8C+ for the gold. Ouch, those 2 really are hard to split!

[gme]

If we exclude the nonsense of speed, as of course we should, the medalists are:
Schubert and Coleman tied for gold.
Duffy and Ondra tied for bronze.

I'll let someone else figure out how to split them.



Amazingly exciting final lead comp - just a shame that so much hinges on speed and the head-to-head format, which basically makes it a Random Winner Generator.

Why should speed be left out. non of the top three are speed specialists. Someone like tomoa will never win a medal if its just boulder and lead neither will gines lopez. Any kids starting climbing now with comp aspirations will do speed from day one.

The future that should be pushed for is three individual medals and a full combined or just three individuals. If there is a combination event it should include all three. Its like a heptathlon or decathlon then when people have to do stuff they are not good at.

[teestub]

I think the Paris format of 2 medals with Lead and Boulder combined seems like a good format, actually gives the speed specialists their own stage which I'm sure they want.

I'm not sure all kids with comp aspirations will be doing speed from day one with the format changing, and all the usual World Cups being split.

Looking forward to more entertainment tomorrow, Janja and Brooke both looked so strong yesterday, but who knows who might win!

[RobK]

Unpredictability is the thing that makes sport amazing.

Agreed, but not when that unpredictability comes from a format that promotes randomness. As Will said, the speed in its current format isn't far off a random number generator.

The gold medallist came last in bouldering, 4/7 in lead and won the speed with the 5th fastest time and because someone else slipped.

[Teaboy]

I really hope all the naysayers eat there words as that was amazing. As good as nearly every event in the games.

Two outsiders getting top spots and the last climber settling it all getting himself a bronze.

Amazing route setting. Amazing event. Climbing as a sport has really arrived.

Really exciting and I totally enjoyed it but to suggest the criticisms aren't valid because of that is nonsense.

We're invested in the result so it would have been exciting if it was settled by a winner takes all game of musical chairs. The criticisms weren't that the scoring system would stop it being exciting but that it's not the best way to judge the overall 'best' climber. The criticism of seed wasn't that that stage wouldn't be viewer friendly to a lay person but that it didn't reflect climbing as most of us know it (including those of us who mainly climb indoors and do comps).

I find the 100 meters exciting but its not climbing and its not a good way to judge the best climber, I feel the same about the speed event in the Olympics but that's not to say it invalidates the combined event as a spectacle or that the IOC have got it wrong from their perspective.

[Teaboy]

Someone like tomoa will never win a medal if its just boulder and lead neither will gines lopez.

Well Tomoa didn't win a medal and to argue that Lopez won because of his speed climbing prowess is a bit of a misrepresentation. The cross over between bouldering and lead is obvious, between speed and, lead and/or bouldering, less so.

[Nutty]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the final, but it's hard to argue the result fairly reflects the performance.

Gines Lopez got first in speed because of a false start by Duffy, facing the slowest competitor (Ondra) because he'd had a bye and a slip by Tomoa. Having been gifted 1st in speed, he comes last in bouldering and mid-table in lead. Gold medal performance?

Those arguing it was exciting and it doesn't matter clearly put greater value on spectacle vs. sporting integrity.

[gme]

I have never thought they were trying to find the best climber just the best at this event. The whole best climber thing is something for UKC forums.

Tomoa was possibly favorite but would he be the best climber if he had won? surely Ondra and megos are miles better than him.

My suggestion that there should be separate medals for speed, boulder an lead then a separate combined including all three, not two. This will be like athletics and there will be people who specialize in the combined who are not the best at each individual component, just like decathlon.

Kids will train speed it if there is a reason to do so.

I am obviously assuming that having four medals is possible, which i dont think it is at the minute and that the sport grows off the back of it so the events become bigger.

[Will Hunt]

Unpredictable and exciting? Great!
Random? Nah.

If you take a look at the speed head-to-heads then Gines-Lopez has actually been incredibly lucky. His first match got a false start, then he was up against Ondra The Snail, then in the last round Tomoa slipped.
Most events that I'm aware of where there is very high jeopardy and giving your best effort is low %, you get multiple goes and they will look at your best run, or maybe an addition of your two best runs out of three. Not speed climbing. Because iT hAs To bE a rAcE.

If this doesn't fail the sniff test then I'd politely suggest that your nose doesn't work.

The gold medal has gone to the 5th fastest speed climber, the worst boulderer, and the 4th best lead climber.

Being an Ondra fanboy, I can't say I wouldn't have been very happy to see him win in the event of Schubert ranking 2nd in lead, but I'd admit that it wouldn't have been well deserved. He was remarkably poor in the bouldering (albeit it was a bit of a shame that he gave the best showing on problem three but it didn't count for anything - that zone hold should have been higher. I think everyone flashed to it?).

It all makes me a bit worried about tomorrow. I do hope there's no combination of events that could see Miroslaw with a medal.

[sherlock]

A great comp for sure!
Some random thoughts...
All the pissing and moaning about the commentary, we watched on Eurosport and yes it was ridiculous at times but no more than other sporting commentaries.I mean there have been whole books written on gaffs, Coleman balls anyone?
I managed to zone a lot of it out, My wife's running commentary was far more entertaining and knowledgeable.
It would have been interesting if M.Mawen had won.The world's first Olympic climbing gold medal to a black man in a sport with little participation amongst BAME communities.
And great final Alberto Heinous-Sloperz, really exciting!