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NEWS: 9a by 13 year old Adam Ondra

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 Morgan Woods 13 Nov 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

yeah but....
 Nic 13 Nov 2006
In reply to Morgan Woods:

No but...
Witkacy 13 Nov 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Not bad. What's his secret?

"I haven't got any system, yet. I don't develop up my muscles, only naturally by climbing, I do stretching. I climb when I want and what I want. I did gymnastics for some years, but I didn't compete. Just for fun." A. Ondra
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: How does this best 13 year old althlete thing work?
 John Alcock 13 Nov 2006
In reply to Richard Bradley:
But what's he done on shale?
 Nick Beckett 13 Nov 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: is it little kid specific. Take there are no long reaches?
 GrahamD 13 Nov 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

I've seen the future and it doesn't have facial hair yet ! Maybe it'll all go to pot when he discovers girls but its still pretty damned impressive at the moment.
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

F*cking bon effort that lad!
 GDes 13 Nov 2006
In reply to Richard Bradley: I guess to with the fact he's performing at very close to the top level. Probably the equivalent of a 13 year old running a sub 10 second 100 metres, or rowing in the olympics.
Kinley 13 Nov 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

I remember reading an aritcle in OTE years ago where some top climber (Alex Huber?) said that climbing was a long way from the plateau of other top sports. His comparison was with gymnastics where the training has been developed over hundreds of years. It's not surprising that this lad has been a gymnast, as was Dawes.
About 10 years ago, Ben Moon made the climbing F9a is like running sub-10 second 100m. If you look at the grade advancing over the last few years, I would guess we're only breaking the 10.5s mark.
 Shani 13 Nov 2006
In reply to GDes:
> Probably the equivalent of a 13 year old running a sub 10 second 100 metres

No way could any 13 yer old do a sub 10 100m! You couldn't really compare running with climbing. Climbing is very weight dependent rather than requiring explosive power like running.

Womens gymnastics (with events such as the beam) is a better comparison to climbing where top performers can be very young or womens tennis where teenagers feature at the top. Raw strength is not a dominant requirement in these sports as it is in the 100m.
 willhunt 13 Nov 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: The lad has made a damn fine effort.

<jealousy raises its ugly head>
But whats he ever done on grit? i guess its easy to climb like that when your a kid cos theres nada body weight for a reasoably high strength ratio.

Still, thats a goddamn good effort.

<jealousy again>

Bet he grabbed the chain and pulled on the draws.
In reply to willhunt:
> (In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com) The lad has made a damn fine effort.
>
> <jealousy raises its ugly head>
> But whats he ever done on grit? i guess its easy to climb like that when your a kid cos theres nada body weight for a reasoably high strength ratio.

The Ace, Voyager amongst countless other sub-font-8's.
 vankampen 13 Nov 2006
In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:
its Tyler Landman that has done all the stuff on grit and bouldering. He's 16 so its still a bloody fine effort!
In reply to Adam Rooke:

DURRR! Sorry, I was having a spaz moment!!
 will 13 Nov 2006
In reply to shani: Climbing 9a when 13 can in no way be compared to running 100m under 10 seconds when 13. The human body when you're 13 is alot better suited to climbing rock than that of a 20 yearold, or even a 17 year old. But that is the opposite for a sprint runner when pure explosive power and size is important. But one hell of an achievemeent none the less!
 GDes 14 Nov 2006
In reply to Shani: i bet a couple years ago most would have said no way a 13 year old could climb 9a! I know its not as reliant on pure muscle, but look at the likes of Dani Andrada, not exactly slight of frame!

Anyway i'm not really trying to compare it with running the 100m, just saying re. the best 13 year old athlete, climbing a 9a in the climbing world is as top class as running a sub 10 second 100 metres.

Or is it...
 220bpm 14 Nov 2006
In reply to Kinley:
It's not surprising that this lad has been a gymnast, as was Dawes.

As was Jacky Godoffe. Anyone spot a pattern here?
Wingman@work 14 Nov 2006
In reply to 220bpm:

as was Dunne, as was Lynn Hill, etc etc..........
In reply to GDes: but I suspect very strongly that it is physically impossible for a thirteen year old to rund a sub 10 100.
Witkacy 14 Nov 2006
In reply to Richard Bradley:

I doubt we'll see a 13 yr old among top weighlifters either.
Are there any sports or events where a 13 yr old boy are among the world's best? I think there have been a few young 'uns in highboard/springboard diving.

Adam's height and weight are similar to some of the top women climbers, who could soon be giving the men a run for their money too.
Wingman@work 14 Nov 2006
In reply to Witkacy:

this is going to be really random....... I have no idea about now but 15-20 years ago some of the best waterskiers in 'tricks' (a sub division, waterskiing competitions were divided into slalom, tricks and jump) were very young.

I would have thought anything that doesn't require top end strength and power (which climbing doesn't in the bigger scheme of things) or physioloigcal capacitity could have young people at the cutting edge. Okay it's not 13 but Becker won WImbledon at 17.
 galpinos 14 Nov 2006
In reply to Wingman@work:

Wasn't Shaun White placing really high and winning snowboard freestyle comps when 13/14?
In reply to Witkacy: There are sports where young females tend to have an advantage, gymnastics springs (sorry) to mind. I think that, with indoor walls etc climbing may well be a similar thing for climbing. Light youths with strong finger are the future?
 Shani 14 Nov 2006
In reply to GDes:
> (In reply to Shani) i bet a couple years ago most would have said no way a 13 year old could climb 9a! I know its not as reliant on pure muscle, but look at the likes of Dani Andrada, not exactly slight of frame!
>
> Anyway i'm not really trying to compare it with running the 100m, just saying re. the best 13 year old athlete, climbing a 9a in the climbing world is as top class as running a sub 10 second 100 metres.
>
> Or is it...

I get your point. I was just trying to focus in on the piont that there ARE other sports out there where youngsters (teenagers) compete at the highest level - such as in swimming, tennis and gymnastics - so there is no need to compare Adams achievements with a sport where young teenagers don't compete at the highest level.

Ondra's tick list is awesome. It will be interesting to see the level to which he can take his ability.

 GrahamD 14 Nov 2006
In reply to Shani:
> (In reply to Ged Desforges)


> Ondra's tick list is awesome. It will be interesting to see the level to which he can take his ability.


Depends whether he discovers sex, drugs 'n' rock 'n' roll, I guess.
 AlisonC 14 Nov 2006
In reply to Shani:
> I get your point. I was just trying to focus in on the piont that there ARE other sports out there where youngsters (teenagers) compete at the highest level - such as in swimming, tennis and gymnastics - so there is no need to compare Adams achievements with a sport where young teenagers don't compete at the highest level.

Difficult to get a real picture of how good 13 year olds might be in other sports, as they are not usually allowed to participate in open competition. They upped the minimum age limit in gymnastics to 16 a couple of decades ago, after a string of world and olympic titles were taken by children in their early to mid teens (Comaneci etc). I dare say that most competitive sports have similar age limits. Therefore it's impossible to say whether a 13 year old might or might not be world class because he or she can't compete against adult athletes. In climbing this age restriction obviously doesn't apply, because you "compete" against a route not a person.

"Timed" sports like swimming or athletics aren't good comparisons because in those sports, height/ size plays a big role - yes there are swimmers who have achieved world-best standards in their teens, but unlike Adam Ondra they already have an adult musculature and height.

You've got to wonder what the long-term impact on his body might be though ...
Yorkspud 15 Nov 2006
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Yeah but what's he ever done at Calanode Fuegerola I ask?
 GDes 15 Nov 2006

> You've got to wonder what the long-term impact on his body might be though ...

I wouldnt have thought too bad. Sounds like he doesnt do any really high stress training (i.e. campussing etc), just climbs a lot and stretches. Sounds sensible really. Obviously just a very gifted lad who loves climbing and does it a lot. I'd imagine later injury problems come around more in people who do a lot of badly informed training.

 salamandra 16 Nov 2006
In reply to Adam Lincoln: another video ans whole article at
http://www.czechclimbing.com/clanek.php?key=5323

keeeeeeeeeeeep going!!!!!!!!!!

11/11 11 attempts
Agent Moog 16 Nov 2006
In reply to salamandra:


And it turns out the route he climbed wasn't the 9a. He apparrently did the wrong route, or wrong bits of routes as the 9a was a link up. So no 13 year old 9a yet then.
Agent Moog 16 Nov 2006
In reply to GDes:
>
Sounds like he doesnt do any really high stress training (i.e. campussing etc), just climbs a lot and stretches.

not sure whether you've been on any 8c+s and compared them to a campus session, but judging by how many people campus train (lots and lots) and how many people climb 8c+s, I'm guessing that climbing 8c+s is a fairly high stress form of activity in it's own right.

Agent Moog 17 Nov 2006
In reply to Agent Moog:

Turns out what he did may be 9a anyway, now...
gaz parry 22 Nov 2006
Just let it be and give the lad some respect. I am currently in Slovenia, seen the line and watched the vid what he has achieved over the last few years is AMAZING. And yes he has climbed 9a the Slovenians who know the route say he climbed it correct. As for long term injuries he will probably be fine you only have to look at Sharma and now Lama to see that it is not a bad thing to bear down when you are young. What leads to injuries is shoddy training and shit technique and poor knowledge. Push on to the next level Adam nice one.
 centurion05 22 Nov 2006
In reply to willhunt:

whats he ever done on grit?

what does it matter, grits pump. and easy
 GDes 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Agent Moog: It'll be very hard pulling on tiny holds, but thats not what tends to injure people. It's doing things like campussing with bad form, weights etc with little/no knowledge about training, how to train, when to train etc. Doesnt sound like he does this, he just goes climbing. If you spend a lot of time climbing these sort of routes you're very unlikely to hurt yourself on them. Especially when you're obviously very pre-disposed to the activity, which he clearly is!

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