Introduction

Jakob Schubert (AUT) Age: 30

One of Innsbruck’s finest climbers (and that’s saying something), Jakob Schubert is nothing short of a living legend. A perfect example of, “You become who you hang out with”, Schubert came onto the Innsbruck climbing scene when Anna Stöhr, Kilian Fischhuber, David Lama, Angy Eiter, Babsi Zangerl, Jorg Verhoeven and Katha Saurwein were all knocking around the legendary Tivoli wall and with company like that, he was off to a good start. He seemed to pick up everything they could teach him and he’s also figured out for himself how to always be at his best when the stakes are highest - a useful skill with the Olympics looming.

Schubert has been on the podium for the Lead World Cup overall title in no less than 8 seasons (which includes 3 wins), is joint holder (with Ramón Julián Puigblanqué) of the record for most World Cup wins ever and has 7 World Championship medals, including 3 golds (2 in Lead, 1 in Combined). His form comes and goes - like every athlete - but there is nobody in the climbing world who is better at being ready for the big events; Schubert has only missed out on the podium twice in the seven Lead World Championships he’s contested.

Qualification route

Hachioji World Championships: 2nd Place

As mentioned above, Schubert usually shows up when he needs to, and the final of the IFSC Combined World Championships in Hachioji was a classic example of that - he got 7th in Speed (his only glaring weakness is his Speed climbing), 5th in Boulder and then found the only top in Lead, putting him second overall. No dramas, no appeals, no silly mistakes - job done at the first time of asking with zero fuss. That, in a nutshell, is Jakob Schubert.

Trivia

Schubert’s sister Hannah is also a professional climber, with a Youth World Championship win and a World Cup medal to her name.

UKC prediction

Winner. He knows how to peak at the right time, is the most successful male Lead climber of all time and even has a hat-trick of World Cup wins in his “second” discipline (Boulder). He’ll be ready, and nobody is better at finding a way to win in the heat of the moment. The best competitor in the history of climbing will win the sport’s first Olympic gold medal.