3 Big lessons from the Swedish Championship 2022 (BOULDERING)

[@fLuch7plAn]

Hahahaha, excellent jab at the IFSC (International Federation of Sport Curling) for putting their Curling World Cups behind a paywall! Love it!

[@chaosengine4597]

yeah, not to be confused with the IFSC ;)

[@lolomat212]

I really like these Comp breakdowns! It would also be interesting if you included a segment at the end where you review the Lessons you learnt the last time around, and reflect on whether/how you applied them this time.

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Oh that's a great idea, thanks for that :-)

[@davidwilson12590]

This seems like a huge improvement in your comp climbing, Emil. You should be really proud of yourself man.

[@matthewsevers5862]

Emil, that’s a huge result dude. There’s a difference between analytical and critical. Keep the analytical analysis, but get rid of the self-doubt and criticism. You’re looking mega strong, and you haven’t been practicing indoor boulders. That’s a seriously impressive showing so give yourself some credit too 💪

[@colemantrebor6574]

Be critical, never cynical

[@molomono9481]

shoutout to the guy at. 11:20 on crutches, i busted my knee last sunday and somehow him being out there lifted my spirits. Just Hope he is doing well and keeping the optimism up on his recovery. great to see him out there supporting his mates at the comp. big respect

[@zachwoosley2212]

Your videos always remind me how important the mental side of climbing is. Congrats on the podium!

[@flip_lange]

regarding the beta breaks: I noticed that during the Meiringen world Cup finals a lot of the sends were actually beta breaks! Yoshiyuki Ogata with the heel hook that was supposed to be blocked on M4, everyone refusing to do the hand-jam and opting for the dyno to compression instead, the women managing to do a foot swap on the blocked foot hold that was supposed to not be a thing and many more. Had they only tried what they though was the intended beta, they would not have sent their boulders. I get what you mean though, maybe don't immediately start with the beta break if you don't even know how hard the intended beta is, but it definitely doesn't hurt to have an open mind ;) Congrats on your performace anyway and good luck with future projects ;)

[@zainethepoet]

I think the differentiation is, "Okay, I know I can do the intended beta, but I actually have a great idea that may make this climb easier which I'm even more confident in." It's deciding your beta through conviction rather than self-doubt; I think that's the underlying lesson.

[@philipmack5668]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE when you do videos on comps and your experience with them. Thanks for sharing the lessons you’ve learned. What I’ve noticed from the videos you’ve done on this subject is that you really get in your head too much during the comps. I’m sure there is a lot to think about, but maybe just breathing, clearing your mind and giving the boulders your most analytical assessment before hopping on (most efficient way to climb, not just preferred) you’ll crush it. Congrats on making the podium and keep up the great work man 😊

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Cheers mate, thanks for saying so. You're certainly right, I'm up in my own head way more than I should be..

[@arduouspaths]

hey man your personal reflections and insight on finals 1 was really candid and moving. I'm sure it resonates with a lot of people. Thanks for taking the time to put into words something that can be quite difficult to convey.

[@valentinhausberg9318]

So nice to hear about Samuel winning the competition. After the vids from view years ago on Eric's channel when he started climbing. Hopefully he will be returning soon.

[@lucabrito]

Yo third place???!! That’s amazing my dude! Congrats! And stop doubting yourself, you are my and many others inspiration in this world! Thanks for being so awesome

[@kavali6320]

I solemnly swear I'll never skip your VPN ad, it's just too good🤣! After the comp is before the comp, lessons were learned. Thanks for sharing and congrats. Now (literally) moving on. Vanlife suits you. Best wishes to Sam ;)

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Heyo! Thanks for your kind comments, they always warm up my heart :-)

[@versatilechicken]

Competition is a whole different game from outdoors, or indoor training time. I think its great to think of them as a change of pace and mindset that you have to mentally prepare for in different ways. Great job and lessons learned!

[@SDwuwei]

Thanks for your hard work in putting this together, great job. In my climbing journey I have found that while physically is important, there comes a time when it's more a mental game. To have a climber of your caliber talk thru his mental process, and having the courage to say "I messed up, I should have thought about things this way" is very very helpful. ps great ad for your sponsor!

[@giesskannenbauer]

Finally, another Surfshark commercial, was waiting for it!

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Hahah thank you for this comment

[@giesskannenbauer]

@@EmilAbrahamsson hehe for real, those are the only ads that I don't skip on KZbin

[@ankyawesome1671]

Thanks for the honest video, it's really interesting to get an insight into the professional comp mindset!

[@george1303]

its amazing to see EKB crusher 1 EKB crusher 2 EKB crusher 3 on the podium... takes me back 3/4 years when y'all were all at K2 putting out vids together (Samuel not as often, but still saw a few of him in our time) thanks for the video Emil!

[@BLDH]

Emil is a beast. Great mindset for the aftermath.

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Thanks mate!

[@st1j0n]

Thanks for the honesty

[@Everheartt]

Really enjoy the breakdown

[@matenw.9530]

Great video and funny ad break in the beginning. :) I think Ascentionisms Climbing styles Video on Natalia Grossman sums it up quite nicely. Committing to the intended beta and focussing on having fun and enjoying the climb.

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Yeah the way Natalia approaches competitions really resonates with me, I just have trouble applying it myself.. But her ideas seem great

[@Cloudensation]

Really insightful and honest! Great video

[@TheSkinFarm]

Look forward to every one of your videos. Keep crushing and producing the great content!

[@fotthewhuck]

i normally skip every sponsor ad in every video, but this one had me laugh xD never stop being you, you´re awesome!

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

aww thanks homie, I appreciate that

[@omnipotentpotato2436]

You're a great climber Emil 👍

[@rockerboy95]

your tapping of the top holds then jumping off gives me anxiety 😂😂 hope you find the self confidence! you did pretty well despite not being in the best head space

[@AndrewMacFarlane]

Lovely stuff-good lessons ❤

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Aww cheers mate. Hope to see more of your videos soon if you have the time/want to, I've been missing them !

[@AndrewMacFarlane]

@@EmilAbrahamsson Need more time... don't we all ha! Still climbing and filming my own ascents but hopefully have more free time for videos when work settles

[@johannielsen463]

The only product ads I can stand to watch on youtube...smiles

[@Lokigh]

HAHA loved that advert!

[@ripapa6355]

If I was a climber on the world cup, I would study Emil's comp videos (like this one) and try to recreate the perfection of this content and delivery. Frickin' awesome man!

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Aww thanks mate, I appreciate you saying so

[@nathanogara9660]

Every time you didn't match the final hold for 3 seconds I was petrified

[@aidanloeser4890]

been looking forward to this!!

[@stofel8822]

Too bad we cant watch it in switzerland either.. those damn curlers. Good stuff emil, keep going

[@Biceps_Mou]

Re trusting your feet on slabs... Note to self: when in Bleau (or Font, as you call it), don't skip the slabs and go only for burly overhangs ;) I remember a (much!) older clip when you were in Bleau with Guigui climbing some slabs, and Guigui making a hilarious comment on your ascent - which I am not going to repeat here, hehe. Very interesting video - thanks! Really enjoyed it!

[@slapthesloper]

Just had a comp and in hindsight I definitely tried to break the beta on my first attempts for several problems with crazy foot placements on the start since feet weren’t taped and I don’t think it ever actually worked out for me either. Good lesson to try the intended way first

[@hvanderwolk]

Nice work man💪🏻 love the video's🔥

[@1233-b8w]

nice job with the advertisement, first time in 3 years i actually watched an ad on YT :) (using adblock, u guys should too)

[@13Omega37]

Amazing that they had downclimbing jugs!

[@AllegraClimbingPsychologist]

Loved this video! Loved everything about it! Your analysis was super interesting and also accurate from a psychological point of view! Also great to watch it with your commentary after watching it live! Totally different experience! Separating yourself from the others is making you more focused on the outcome of the comp (ranking) rather than your skill. That seems to be tweaking your decision making. I wouldn't say that you should always go for the intended beta first. I think you should try to make an accurate assessment of your strenght and weaknesses! For example, if you knew the mantle was something you really struggle with, going for the alternative beta first seems to be very useful! Remember that the decision-making process should be focused on optimizing performance, not the ranking!

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Thank you! I'm happy you enjoyed it :-) Just finished watching yours on eating disorders, super interesting stuff! Keep it up :-) While I do agree long term about choosing the best beta, I think the problem is my assessment of what's difficult and not that's the issue. In retrospect, I firmly believe I'd do the mantle beta with relative ease if I had the confidence in it, e.g I have the physical abilities for it but not the mental ones. Compared to the heel-hook I have the mental abilities to commit to it, but not the physical ones. I think putting myself in the position where I opt out from the "easiest" beta can have a negative result on my mindset. But again, if I accurately assessed the difficulty of both betas that wouldn't be an issue so maybe I'm wrong :-)

[@AllegraClimbingPsychologist]

​@@EmilAbrahamsson I think the assessment of the difficult really just comes with a lot of simulations and possibly tracking certain types of moves. For example, organizing training cycles for specific types of moves (e.g. 4 weeks focusing on mantles on the wall and with a couple of exercises for shoulder stability, then 4 weeks for heelhooks with a couple of exercises like nordic curls and so on) helps both for the assessment of your capacities and with self-efficacy on those moves. Then I think the process implies some risk-taking assessment. I think you opt out from the "easiest" beta because you are willing to pay that extra risk for differenciating yourself from others. At the high end of performance (like you are) it is not necessarily a bad strategy if the competition is very packed. So maybe linked to a more accurate difficulty assessment could be an effective strategy! I love by the way that you show how impactful these processes can be! Also stoked that you are looking at my videos! Thank you so much for the support! Keep it up, love you!

[@SpartaSpartan117]

How does Emil know when I need a climbing video to watch in the shower? Also First!

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Legend. Also, enjoy the shower!

[@cordeliajansson6251]

wait...how do you watch a video in the shower?

[@PaulCoxC]

Thoughts on down-climbing holds in comps? One of the few comps that I've seen that has them. For me it might be one of those things that might be looked back on in the future that all comps should have them, and competitors will end up with more knee problems. In the same way that there's a huge push around concussion in rugby now, and players suffering later in life.

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

I think they're quite bad to have in comps unless placed very very carefully. If you look at #3 in the finals for instance, I'm reaaally close to touching the tape with my foot which technically they shouldn't have counted then. I really like them in gyms though, for the reason you mentioned :-) But if jumping down steadily from a top jug once per boulder was a proper issue for the knees of climbers, then comps shouldn't really be a thing imo. I mean it's not unusual that we spend 3-4 attempts jumping for that jug and then falling uncontrolled, so I doubt the downclimbing saves us that much! Just my thoughts though :-)

[@jmbriss1]

Dont forget to match the last hold for at least 2seconds. In the world cup you can't just tap the last hold with your second hand even if it's a jug like you did on the F1 and F3 boulder.

[@PIXEL7atm]

hey emil how come u went with th redlines instead of the drones? wouldn't you want a less aggressive shoe? also any chance of doing a nuitrition vlog, would love to know what you eat as a vegan athlete!

[@DIYToPen]

Emil, doesn't flash a boulder: "confused screaming"

[@MrDude939]

Amazing video Emil really high quality. But honestly, have to ask if you get a Top in Swedish Nationals by just clapping it? Many devastating moments in IFSC because of that clapping method. So if you aim high as we all should, please give it a proper match in future comps.

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Haha yeah you're totally right. For the future I'll make sure to make them more secure!

[@chaosengine4597]

why didn't I skip the ad? wtf? ah, because it's made in a nice way :) About your abilities: Ask your friends. Really, they will tell you and then you "just" need to trust them.

[@Li_Qifei]

I feel like your own vibe fitted much better with the whole environment this time. (I don't know if this makes sense.)

[@WillTheFrozen]

3 thrd place. bravo Emil!

[@jerryr7199]

Are you at the WC in Innsbruck this year?

[@deandavictoreduardo]

perfect advert 🤣

[@peeturintamaki5259]

I had this in finnish competion i topped all 8 bouldets but i was so disapointed in myself

[@Lazy_Eight]

So, the lesson is not to try to break the beta but to break the competitors arms?

[@Mindofliz]

Emil: Climbs v11, is climbing championships, etc Emil: I don't think i'm very strong

[@edrapiko]

Nice one! How to not frustrate when you only 3-rd on podium. ;?

[@jamoni082]

Video from Munich coming soon?

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Only one from Germany so far but it's actually from Nurnberg

[@skpowerz]

when vantour? Are you planning a 'making of' video?

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

I've been planning on it for a while but never seem to get around to it.. Gotta get my idea-book out and do some writing I believe

[@emgoodlife6681]

Big lesson from qualifiers "There is a distinction between performance and results... I topped the boulder. That's what matters." Proceeds to spend the rest of the video nitpicking performance issues. Emil, I charge you with this mission: redo this video without ANY self criticism. You did great. Talk about doing great. Not about "I did great, but I didn't feel great, so really I failed." It's BS. Stop lying to yourself.

[@tobiasgruber1273]

Wait… you match in curling? How?

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

I'll let you in on a secret.. she wasn't actually watching curling (don't tell anyone)

[@ericmetzgar4285]

I really appreciate these analysis videos of your comps. As a mediocre climber, my opinion on comp climbers' mindsets isn't worth much, however, for what it's worth.... it looks to me like you could improve your mental game quite a bit. You seem like a super smart guy, but when you hit the wall, it seems like you go into a 'pure talent' zone. In other words, it seems like you lose focus and just improvise, and then get mentally thrown if it doesn't work out. You clearly have the strength and determination to climb at an elite level, but perhaps you could slow down during the comps, go inward, and stay as laser-focused as possible on what's happening in the moment at hand. Tune out the crowd, forget the ego, forget your video content, and just execute.

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Hey mate! I mean I'm no expert at these things so your opinion is certainly welcomed! I appreciate you taking the time to write it, I'll reflect on it for sure

[@denlolify]

maybe im reading too much into it, but with the way you were talking about your performance in the finals i expected you to place on the low end, not in 3rd. Felt like you were being hard on yourself after breaking it down. but that might just be me :P

[@hashiramasenju5001]

Maaan, would really suck to have your sports competition behind a paywayll,...

[@TheRazaell]

If anybody was wondering (I was) Sweden won gold in men's curling world cup.

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Haha thanks for looking it up

[@MrMosherMosher]

What are those shoes?

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Mostly the Redlines by Madrock :-)

[@afailable]

i thought using bolt holes for fingers was not allowed?

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

A common misunderstand, you can use bolt holes on holds and screw-holes on boxes :-) like on nr 4 in the qualifiers, the boxes have massive holes that screws go into, which are really good to grab

[@afailable]

@@EmilAbrahamsson that makes sense. Thanks for the reply! It is really nice to see these videos going through your thought process, I enjoy them a lot and it helps with my own climbing. Thanks for the content to date, you're a huge inspiration to me. Much love from Australia.

[@dumbcrumb879]

I wish mor gyms used those downclimb holds. They are so nice. My local gym uses handlebar style downclimb hold and they feel really awkward. Anyone else think the same?

[@Emilggiuyigutrv]

How old are you

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

25 :-)

[@ChocolatTherapy]

sounds like a bunch of great lessons!! so smart to make the distinction between outdoors and it feeling good, and comps just not being the place for that. and please stop calling yourself dumb for trying to 'break' the beta on your first tries!! you're learning from it now, after some recovery and recap-time and you can try and implement those lessons next time! no need or reason for you to call yourself dumb for past 'mistakes'! you're able to look at it and learn from them and it's only making next time easier! oftentimes we 'know' things in our heads, but we need an 'outsider's' perspective, or the comparison with others to actually realise the patterns. realising is the first step. honour yourself by trying to stick to the beta next time and you're all good! not dumb. not at all! ps: did you climb in the ifsc worldcup too? (i didnt watch due to the paywall, should take cordy for example and get surfshark haha). love these recap style videos! would be great to have a worldcup version too!

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Heyo, thanks for the advice, good stuff in there :-) I did climb in the world cup, but this first one was with a terrible performance if I'm being honest. Been doing lots to improve and will be doing two european cups now, and then the next WC in Brixen in June :-) Hopefully it'll go a bit better now!

[@chrishughes3405]

I love the comment about you wanting each other to win. Makes me wonder, has there ever been anyone notorious for being an asshole on the comp scene?

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Not that I know of, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't :P So many different characters in climbing, you can find anyone and everyone at the top level

[@jarl254]

What is your height?

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

184cm somewhere around there :-)

[@seppeyjack5936]

Hey 3er how is munich 🤙🏻🤔💪🏻

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Munich's been awesome mate. Lots of well needed training and mental prep!

[@JPJeppe]

Big lesson #4: Actually match the top ;)

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Yeah in retrospect I'm happy that didn't turn out to be a problem. In my mind it looked more like proper matches haha

[@JPJeppe]

@@EmilAbrahamsson I was actually surprised they accepted the half second finger match :D I remember someone (maybe it was you even?) during nordic championships that did the one arm hang on the top hold, victory fist followed by half second match and jump down. He got called out and had to do it again. I guess it's hard to get rid of old habits. Either way, impressive comp!

[@timwuerthner9389]

Woah man pls focus on matching topholds properly ;)

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Haha yeah putting that lesson in my pocket for future comps

[@kacyperek]

wow sam must be like 6'5

[@bryanbryan6108]

Was the first line a joke? Seemed like a joke but idk this guy pers

[@lavikoss3540]

I am actually second

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

Not a second late to the video though *badum tss*

[@arcanaworms]

Man that semi 3 boulder was strange. I don't see the purpose of adding unused holds for the sake of aesthetics in a comp scenario.

[@Habhome]

I spoke to the routesetters about that and it wasn't purely aesthetic, it was to force the climbers to analyze the climb and not just improvise on the wall. Because if you just wing it you'll waste a lot of energy, but if you think it through you'll realize only a handful of holds are relevant for the climb. I'd say it very much reflects an outdoor climb in that regard, and it was probably meant to "favor" the analytical climbers over the impulsive climbers.

[@jlehm]

Shoulder injuries are a HUGE reason the new “comp style” of setting is total garbage to me…that and it’s not real climbing. At the same time, congrats on making podium!

[@bosskoala7]

One advice from tall to tall climber. When you train don’t reach cheat a Boulder and make it easier than any other ppl 10-20 cm shorter than you. Ask yourself what the « mid to short » beta is and do it.

[@bkim2]

Do a "doubt" count. It's fucking tiresome.

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

I *doubt* it's that many .. hehe..