Talent scout: Alexandra Ladurner

The 18-year-old from Merano owes the fact that Alexandra Ladurner is now Italy's best young climber to a coincidence. She actually wanted to play badminton, but couldn't find a place in the club. And so she was quickly enrolled in the children's climbing course. Her climbing instructor and current trainer Andi Sanin immediately noticed what great talent had come under his wing.

Alexandra immediately took part in competitions, won the South Tyrol Junior Cup straight away and was called up to the youth national team at the age of 14. In the same year she also became junior Italian champion and almost always achieved top placings in the European Cup or the Junior World Championships.

Junior World Champion in Edinburgh

Alexandra Ladurner has long since made a name for herself in the climbing scene. So it's no surprise that she was invited to the Rockmaster in Arco, after all the oldest and best-known sport climbing competition in the world. The 12 best male and female climbers in the world come to Trentino every year.

In 2008 Alexandra was unable to take part because she was still in Sydney at the Junior World Championships. She took on the challenge in 2009 and spoke of it as the “highlight” of her short climbing career. In the “onsight” attempt, i.e. without being able to try the route beforehand, she was able to leave behind the Frenchwoman Caroline Ciavaldini, currently third in the world rankings. On the “lavorata” route, where you can study it beforehand, she beat four top athletes, including the Austrian Johanna Ernst – she won the Rockmaster last year.

We train four times a week

Alexandra Ladurner can now also keep up with the world elite. “Being able to climb was the most important thing for me. The fear of failing in front of her own audience was great, but now the joy and motivation to continue is even greater.” The junior world championship title, which she won on September 11, 2010 in Edinburgh, is now likely to be the highlight of her climbing career.

Alexandra trains in the climbing hall four times a week, and there are often competitions on the weekends. Nevertheless, she finds time to do what normal teenagers do: hang out with friends, stroll around town, surf the Internet. Only the school is “a bit strict,” says Alexandra, “I miss a lot and the teachers don’t like that.” She attends the fifth grade at the Pedagogical High School in Meran and, despite the many absences, she says she is “actually quite good”. The exceptional athlete has been traveling more or less all over the world since she started climbing. It was primarily her parents who helped her a lot: “Mom always organized everything and Dad always used to accompany me to the competitions.”

Sports studies in Innsbruck

What ideas does the self-confident Merano native have for her future? “Finish high school and then definitely study sports science, ideally in Innsbruck,” Alexandra has clear goals. She lets it be known that most climbing professionals live in the capital of North Tyrol because the “Tivoli” climbing hall offers ideal training opportunities there. She also wants to train as a climbing trainer. And of course a lot of climbing. One can assume that Alexandra will continue to cause a stir in the future.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Talent scout: Alexandra Ladurner

Suggestions

Comments (0)