Adam Ondra

Adam Ondra
Ondra in 2018
Personal information
Born (1993-02-05) February 5, 1993 (age 31)
Brno, Czech Republic
EducationMasaryk University
OccupationProfessional rock climber
Height186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb)
SpouseIva Ondra
Websiteadamondra.com
Climbing career
Type of climber
Ape index+1cm (0.4 in)
Highest grade
Known for
  • First to climb consensus sport 9b+ (5.15c) and 9c (5.15d)
  • First to flash consensus sport 9a+ (5.15a)
  • First to win the World Championship in bouldering and lead climbing in single year
  • First to win the World Cup in bouldering and lead climbing
First ascents
Medal record
Men's competition climbing
Representing  Czech Republic
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Arco Overall
Gold medal – first place 2014 Gijón Lead
Gold medal – first place 2014 Munich Bouldering
Gold medal – first place 2016 Paris Lead
Gold medal – first place 2019 Hachiōji Lead
Silver medal – second place 2009 Xining Lead
Silver medal – second place 2011 Arco Bouldering
Silver medal – second place 2016 Paris Bouldering
Silver medal – second place 2018 Innsbruck Lead
Silver medal – second place 2018 Innsbruck Combined
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Arco Lead
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Paris Lead
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2009 Lead
Gold medal – first place 2009 Combined
Gold medal – first place 2010 Bouldering
Gold medal – first place 2010 Combined
Gold medal – first place 2015 Lead
Gold medal – first place 2015 Combined
Gold medal – first place 2019 Lead
Silver medal – second place 2019 Bouldering
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Edinburgh Lead
Gold medal – first place 2022 Munich Lead
Silver medal – second place 2010 Imst/Innsbruck Lead
Silver medal – second place 2010 Imst/Innsbruck Bouldering
Silver medal – second place 2015 Chamonix Lead
Silver medal – second place 2015 Innsbruck Bouldering
Silver medal – second place 2017 Campitello di Fassa Lead
Silver medal – second place 2022 Munich Combined
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Munich Bouldering
Updated on April 19, 2021

Adam Ondra (Czech pronunciation: [ˈadam ˈondra]; born February 5, 1993) is a Czech professional rock climber, specializing in lead climbing, bouldering, and competition climbing. In 2013, Rock & Ice described Ondra as a prodigy and the leading climber of his generation.[1] Ondra is the only male athlete to have won World Championship titles in both disciplines in the same year (2014) and is one of the two male athletes (alongside Sorato Anraku in 2023) to have won the World Cup series in both disciplines (lead climbing in 2009, 2015, and 2019 and bouldering in 2010).

At age 13, Ondra redpointed his first graded 9a (5.14d) sport route. Rock & Ice noted that by 2011, he was "onsighting 5.14c's by the handful", and by 2013, had "more or less repeated every hard route in the world—easily".[1] By end 2018, Ondra had climbed 1,550 sport routes between grades 8a (5.13b) and 9c (5.15d), of which one was a 9c (5.15d), three were 9b+ (5.15c), and three were onsights of 9a (5.14d).[2]

Ondra is the first climber to redpoint a route with a proposed grade of 9c (5.15d) (Silence, 2017),[3] the first-ever climber to redpoint a 9b+ (5.15c) route (Change, 2012),[4] the first-ever to flash a 9a+ (5.15a) route (Supercrackinette, 2018), and the second ever to onsight a 9a (5.14d) route (Cabane au Canada, 2013).[5]

Although primarily known for sport climbing, Ondra has repeated or established difficult big wall climbs, [6] traditional climbs, [7] and boulder problems.[8] Because of his achievements, Ondra is often referred to as the world's strongest climber. [9]

  1. ^ a b Bisharat, Andrew (27 November 2013). "Perfect Play: What It Took to Climb La Dura Dura (5.15c) – The World's Hardest Route". rockandice.com. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference routes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference climbing9c was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference climbing515c was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference onsighting9a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Corrigan, Kevin (22 November 2016). "Adam Ondra Completes Dawn Wall". climbing.com. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  7. ^ Clarke, Owen (21 February 2024). "Adam Ondra Repeats 'Bon Voyage', Confirms World's Hardest Trad Grade". climbing.com. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  8. ^ Pohl, Björn (8 October 2013). "Ondra climbs World's Hardest Boulder Problems". ukclimbing.com. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  9. ^ Clarke, Owen (3 May 2022). "Adam Ondra, Sport Climbing Superstar". climbing.com. Retrieved 25 August 2024.