Janja Garnbret is top favourite in climbing at the Tokyo Olympics.
Alberto Gines Lopez ist der Shooting-Star des Wettkampfkletterns: 2018 feierte der Spanier seine Weltcup-Premiere im Klettern, schon 2019 gewann er Silber bei der Lead-EM und wurde Vizeweltmeister im Lead-Klettern. 2021 dann die Krönung: Mit gerade einmal 18 Jahren gewann Gines Lopez bei den Männern das erste Kletter-Gold bei den Olympischen Spielen überhaupt. Schon mit 14 Jahren ordnete der Spanier diesem Ziel alles unter: Nachdem klar wurde, dass Klettern olympisch wird, zog er wegen der besseren Trainingsbedingungen von Caceres nach Barcelona.
Lena Herrmann's favourite climbing area is the Frankenjura.
Lena Herrmann (*28. January 1994) is Germany's strongest rock climber. In June 2016 she was the first woman to climb the "Route Battle Cat" in difficulty level 8c+ in the Frankenjura. In 2015 she won the title German Champion in Lead Climbing in Frankenthal. Also in bouldering she achieved multiple competition successes. In 2013 she was first in the junior world rankings in bouldering.
Chris Sharma is the first climber of several routes in the confirmed grade 9b.
Chris Sharma (April 23, 1981, USA) established the currently most difficult climbing route "La Dura Dura" in the climbing area Oliana in Catalonia in 2009. Successes: First ascent of "El Bon Combat" 9b/9b+ in the Cova De l'ocell area near Barcelona, Catalonia - one of the most technically demanding routes in the world. 2013 Repeat of "La Dura Dura" after first ascent by Adam Ondra in the same year. Current project: Route "Le Blond" (9c?) in the area of Oliana, Catalonia.
Alex "No Big Deal" Honnold is the best free solo climber in the world.
Alex Honnold (August 17, 1985, USA) is a free solo climber and extreme mountaineer. His biggest success so far: On June 3, 2017 he climbed the El Capitan on the route "Freerider" Free-Solo in 3:56 hours. In 2014 Alex Honnold climbed the route "El Sendero Luminoso" (7c+) near Monterrey, Mexico, free solo - a 15-pitch tour. He received the Piolet d'Or for "The Fitz Traverse" (4000 vertical bm, 7a, C1, 65°), Patagonia, with Tommy Caldwell in 2014.
Alexander Megos is known for extremely fast repetitions of difficult rock climbing routes: For example, 2013 "La Rambla" (9a+) at the second attempt.
Alexander Megos (August 12, 1993, Germany) is one of the strongest rock climbers in Germany and acting vice European champion in bouldering. In the Spanish region of Siurana, he achieved the world's first on sight ascent of a 9a route in 2013: "Estado critico". In 2015 he climbed the "Supernova" route in Franconian Switzerland and probably established the first 9a+/9b grade route in German-speaking countries.
Sasha DiGiulian
Sasha DiGiulian (October 23, 1992, USA) has won several bouldering and climbing competitions during her career. But she has also been successful in rock climbing: in 2011 she made her first female ascent of the route "Pure Imagination" (9a later devalued by Adam Ondra to 8c+). In 2012 she climbed the route "Era Vella" (9a; downgrading to 8c+ is being discussed) in Margalef, Spain. In 2017 she was the first woman to conquer the 700-meter wall "Mora Mora" in Madagascar.
Adam Ondra is the strongest climber in the world - and sets standards in climbing.
Adam Ondra (*5. February 1993, Czech Republic) was already one of the world leaders at the age of 13 - since the first red point ascent of the route "WoGü" (8c, 7SL) at the seventh Kirchlispitze in the Rätikon also in alpine climbing. In 2016 he succeeded in the first repetition of the "Dawn Wall" (9a) at El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, California. Last success in sport climbing: first ascent of the "Silence" route (according to his rating 9c) in the "Hansehellaren" cave in Norway in September 2017 (in his estimation the most difficult route ever climbed).
Tommy Caldwell was kidnapped during an expedition to Kyrgyzstan in August 2000.
Tommy Caldwell (*11. August 1978, USA) is a successful Big Wall climber - eleven routes on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park are his fault (including "The Nose", which he climbed in less than 12 hours). He also set up some of the toughest sports routes in the USA. Together with Alex Honnold he succeeded in 2014 "The Fitz Traverse" (4000 Hm, 7a) - the crossing of the Fitz Roy massif from north to south, for which they received the Piolet d'Or.
In March 2016 Ashima Shiraishi became the first woman ever to have a bouldering problem in grade 8c.
Ashima Shiraishi (*3. April 2001, USA) started climbing at the age of 7 in Central Park in NYC. She is one of the most extraordinary personalities of bouldering and rock climbing. There are only a few athletes who climb in their level of difficulty. At the age of 13, she was the first woman in the world to climb two routes in grade 9a+: "Open Your Mind Direct" and "Ciudad de Dios", Santa Linya, Spain.
Whether climbing or bouldering: Barbara Zangerl convinces at the rock.
Barbara Zangerl (*24.05.1988, Austria) is the first woman to have bouldered an 8b ("Pura Vida" in "Magic Wood", 2008, Switzerland). In sport climbing she moves in difficulty level 8c/+. Successes: Female first ascent of the "Alpine Trilogy" ("Emperor's New Clothes", "Silver Vulture", "End of Silence"). First ascent "Principle of Hope" E9/10,8b (Tradroute, Vorarlberg).
![Alain Robert (*7 August 1962) was the first person ever to climb to the top of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The (often illegal) climbing up skyscrapers without safety devices is the speciality of the Frenchman, who earned himself the nickname "Spiderman" with it.](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery/public/2020-04/alainrobert.jpg?h=5d5509d9&itok=-Gr3lrrg "Alain Robert (*7 August 1962) was the first person ever to climb to the top of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The (often illegal) climbing up skyscrapers without safety devices is the speciality of the Frenchman, who earned himself the nickname "Spiderman" with it.")
Alain Robert (*7 August 1962) was the first person ever to climb to the top of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The (often illegal) climbing up skyscrapers without safety devices is the speciality of the Frenchman, who earned himself the nickname "Spiderman" with it.
The alpinist David Lama (*August 4, 1990, Innsbruck, Austria - †April 16, 2019, Alberta, Canada) was considered a child prodigy of climbing at an early age. In the years 2004 and 2005 he became youth world champion. The following year, at 16, he became the youngest World Cup winner ever to win a World Cup for the first time and a World Cup for bouldering in one season.
In 2012, together with Peter Ortner, he managed the first free ascent of the Compressor Route at the Cerro Torre in Patagonia. And only last October Lama managed the first solo ascent of the 6895 meter high Lunag Ri in Nepal over the west pillar.
Hansjörg Auer changed from his teaching job in 2009 to professional climbing.
Hansjörg Auer (February 18, 1984, Austria - †April 16, 2019) was best known for his free solo ascent of the route "Weg durch den Fisch" (7b+/ 850 m). Further free solo successes: Locker vom Hocker (7a/ 350 m), Bayrischer Traum (7a/ 400 m), Mephisto (6c+/400m) and Drei-Gipfel-Dolomiten-Tour 2016. First ascents: "Bruderliebe" (8b/800m) and "L'ultimo dei Paracadutisti" (8b+/ 650 m), Marmolada, South Tyrol. He also regularly took part in expeditions to the Karakorum and the Himalayas.
