May 3, 2022 | By Tuesday Kahl
Between stops on the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup tour, the European Continental Championship commenced in Prague over the weekend, where Adam Ondra and Eva Hammelmuller took gold.
Many world cup favorites sat out to rest for the upcoming Seoul Boulder and Speed World Cup — but not these two.
Adam Ondra has been on an outdoor tear lately, putting down longstanding projects near his home awaiting his first child, and handily won the lead climbing cup in Brno in the Czech Republic.
And although not as well-known as Ondra, Eva Hammelmuller follows suit by sending hard boulders outside while simultaneously crushing the women’s field on plastic.
Ondra continues to dominate in the World Cup circuit while still climbing hard outdoors, an astonishing feat. Many climbers have had to choose one as the competition and outdoor climbing spheres and styles continue to diverge.
Ondra missed the Meiringen Boulder World Cup and opted to stay close to home lately, taking first in the Czech Lead Cup and the Continental Championship, both of which took place in his hometown of Brno.
He’s also spent quite a bit of time revisiting old projects at home crags. Ondra recently nabbed the first ascents of “Bomba” and “Bombardino” in Arco, Italy, which ring in at 9b and 9a+/9b (5.15a and 5.15b), respectively, after a 10-year break from the routes.
He recently released a film, “Last Great Lines?,” about the process and experience of bolting and finally finishing these lines. With a newborn due this month, Ondra might stay close to home and continue to crush outdoors.
A post shared by Adam Ondra (@adam.ondra)
A less-known name is the women’s champion this past weekend, Eva Hammelmuller. A phenom who stood on podiums at multiple youth national championships, she’s now competing on the adult circuit. Much like Ondra, she splits her time between climbing outdoors and competing. In 2021, she missed a single lead semifinal on the World Cup circuit.
Shortly before her win, she completed three double-digit boulders and a V9 to boot in the Zillertal Valley. We’re excited to see more of what she can do in competitions and outdoors.
A post shared by Eva Hammelmüller (@eva_hammelmueller)
Tuesday Kirby Kahl is a native Texan now residing in Portland, OR. She's spent most of her life as a coach and educator. In addition to her work as an Editor for GearHungry, she's a competitive climbing coach. You'll find her climbing, backcountry skiing, and paddle boarding all over the Cascades when she's not working. When at home, she's usually tending to her plants or painting with a cup of tea in hand.
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