>> World Cup in sport climbing (bouldering) June 3, 2023, Prague. Adam Ondra.
Prague – Adam Ondra advanced to the finals of the Bouldering World Cup in Prague. The home favorite climbed two of the four boulders in the semi-finals and took fifth place. He stayed in the final six thanks to the fact that many favorites made mistakes. The fight for the medal will start on Letná at 20:00.
Advertisement'; }
Photo gallery: SP in bouldering in Prague
The semi-final boulders that the builders prepared for the competitors did not suit Ondra very well. On the first one, he had to switch hands over several catches and Ondra didn't even get into the zone. He gave up the futile effort before the five-minute limit was up to save his strength.
This paid off for him on the second boulder, which he conquered on the third attempt. On the third, he had trouble moving quickly into the zone, where he needed to grab onto two large structures after a jump. He managed it until six seconds before the end, leaving no time for further steps towards the top. “The dolez was very much in my style, but unfortunately there was no time left,” lamented Ondra.
Only a quick top on the last boulder could save his chances of advancing. Just like in the qualification, Ondra showed a strong finish and reached the top on the second attempt. “If I had seen the boulder ahead, I would have said that I couldn't climb it. I think it was also extremely lucky that I gave it a second try,” he commented on the route, where even the successful climbers consumed many more attempts.
Ondra placed fourth, but after finishing seventh in his qualifying group, he started in the first half of the starting field, so the biggest favorites still had the semi-finals ahead of them. “After the climb and the first results, I didn't believe it would work,” Ondra admitted.
However, the best climbers from the qualification did not do very well. For example, only Yoshijuki Ogata advanced from a strong Japanese lineup. Conversely, reigning world champion Kokoro Fujii and two-time world champion Tomoa Narasaki were stuck in the semi-finals. “It was probably the most dramatic waiting to see how it would turn out that I've ever experienced. I appreciate this result all the more because the boulders were terrible for me,” added Ondra.
In bouldering, which is his weaker discipline, he is a bronze medalist from last year's European Championship. He last competed in the World Cup in 2021, when he won two races. “It's been a long time since I've been at the bouldering World Cup, every year it's a bigger and bigger roulette. In the final, you already have a fifty percent chance of a medal,” he added.
