After concentrating on lead and speed climbing throughout July, the bouldering elite are in Germany for the seventh and final World Cup stage of the season at a venue that has become a landmark in the series in the course of the last decade.

A total of 292 athletes from 47 countries are registered to compete in the famed Olympiapark in an event that will incorporate the European Championships.

Britain’s Shauna Coxsey has already secured the women’s title after earning her fourth victory at the last IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Navi Mumbai on June 25.

But Jongwon Chon of Korea, who also won in Mumbai to register his third World Cup victory of the season, needs to finish strongly at the outdoor location under the roof structure of the arena built for the 1972 Olympics to confirm his own position as overall champion.

Chon faces strong opposition from Russia’s Aleksei Rubtsov, who has earned the most appearances on the men’s podium this year with four and remains a strong contender for the title since the lowest of competitor’s seven scores is dropped in the final ranking.

After Navi Mumbai, Chon led the overall men's rankings for the season with 426.00 points in front of Rubtsov and Japan's Keita Watabe, who both have 372.00.

Japan is in control of the team bouldering rankings this season, with seven men and four women ranked in the top 10.

Akiyo Noguch, Watabe and the 2016 Munich winners Miho Nonaka and Tomoa Narasaki are all positioned well to make bids for the final podium.

Also in their squad is Yoshiyuki Ogata, an impressive victor at last month’s World Games in Wroclaw.

After missing Navi Mumbai, the Janja Garnbret is back in the reckoning and can force her way onto the final podium with a strong performance.

She will be joined by lead specialist and Slovenian team-mate Mina Markovic.

Also likely to be in the mix for medals is Serbia’s World Games winner Stasa Gejo.

Tomorrow will see the men and women complete their qualifying rounds before Saturday’s semi-finals and finals.