Adam Ondra Retires From Boulder Comps
"I did not expect to be emotional, but I am," said Ondra after competing at his final Boulder World Cup
Drapella/Virt/IFSC
Over the weekend, Adam Ondra participated in the last Boulder World Cup competition of his career. He had a impressive showing at the Prague event, especially considering the fact that he hadn’t competed in bouldering since September last year. He placed 7th in the qualification round, easily securing a spot in the semi-finals. In the semis, he topped one boulder and reached zone on two others, leaving him in 15th overall.
“World Cup in Boulder for the very last time,” said Ondra after the Prague World Cup. “To be honest, I did not expect to be emotional, but I am. It was a nice experience. Very grateful for making it to the semis and enjoying the atmosphere in front of the huge home crowd despite constant rain and wind.
“Thank you so much to those who came to cheer hard! It meant a lot to me. I decided to compete because of the fans in my country, and I am glad I made that decision. I was cheered by my family, including my wife [Iva Ondra] and son, Hugo, and that also means a lot. Life goes on, and I am very curious to see which direction comp bouldering will take. The new generation is crazy and a lot of fun to watch. Most importantly, my competition career is not over. I still plan to compete in [lead]! And next year, there will be the World Cup in Prague as well, in [lead].”
While not as decorated as his Lead comp climbing resume, Ondra had a very successful career in Boulder comps. He earned gold at six World Cups and one World Championship, silver at six World Cups and two World Championships, and bronze at three World Cups. His first time podiuming was way back in 2009. His final time was in 2021.
