Alex Puccio
 Alex Puccio competing in 2010 national bouldering competition | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
June 15, 1989 McKinney, Texas | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) (2013)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 125 pounds (57 kg) (2013)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Climbing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type of climber | Bouldering | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest grade |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Updated on 18 March 2013. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg.png){kind=icon}
.svg.png){kind=icon}
.svg.png){kind=icon}
Alex Puccio, born Alexandrea Elizabeth Cocca on 15 June 1989 in McKinney, Texas, is a professional climber specializing in bouldering. She competes in climbing competitions and splits her time between climbing outdoor and indoor. She is known for having great strength. She regularly participates in United States national championship and the World Cup Climbing Federation. She finished 3rd overall in the World Cup bouldering competition in 2011 and won the American Bouldering Series nine times.
Biography
She started climbing in 2002 at thirteen with her mother.[2] In 2006 she participated for the first time in the U.S. Bouldering Championships, and won the title.[3] She later won in 2007,[4] 2008,[5] 2010,[6] 2011,[7] 2012,[8] and 2013.[9] In 2008, 2009 and 2010 she competed in the World Cup bouldering climbing but only at the stage of Vail finishing sixth respectively, before and fourth.[10] In 2011 she took part in all the steps going up to the podium five times, with three second places and two third places. Since then she has been a fixture on the IFSC Bouldering World Cup circuit where she is constantly a finalist and frequently on the podium.
She has ascended over two dozen boulders graded V12 (8A+) between the United States and Europe. [11] On July 2, 2014, Puccio ascended Top Notch in Rocky Mountain National Park. This was her first V13(8B) graded boulder.[12] A month later, she ascended Jade becoming the fourth woman to climb V14.[13]
Alex placed second in the Boulder World Championship in Munich, Germany on 23 August 2014.[14]
On June 5, 2015 Alex sustained a season ending knee injury while warming up during the World Cup competition in Vail, CO. She required surgery to repair the torn ACL and MCL ligaments in her left knee resulting in months of inactivity during the recovery. Despite a six-month inactivity prediction she was back climbing V13(8B) by October with an ascent of Free Range in Boulder Canyon, CO.[15]
In February 2016 Alex won the Hueco Tanks 'Rock Rodeo' amid world class competitors proving that she is still in top form. Puccio also had the most productive week-long bouldering trip by any female in history by completing three V13(8B) boulders among many other double digit (V-scale) boulders.[16]
Competition
Alex Puccio is the most accomplished American female bouldering competitor. She has won the ABS National Championship nine times[17] and is the top American female bouldering competitor at the IFSC world competitions. She has earned numerous medals in the bouldering World Cup events including a gold medal at the 2009 World Cup held in Vail, CO.[18] In 2014 she earned a gold medal at the Arco Rockmaster event and a silver medal in the World Championships for bouldering.[18]
Number of medals in the World Cup[18]
| Season | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2010 | ||||
| 2011 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2013 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Total | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 |
Notable Ascents
- 8B+(V14)
- The Wheel of Chaos - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 20 September 2014 - First female ascent[19]
- Jade - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 3 August 2014 - First female ascent[19]
- 8B(V13)
- Nagual - Hueco (USA) - 21 February 2016 - FFA[19]
- Slashface - Hueco (USA) - 20 February 2016 - FFA of this historic Fred Nicole climb that was once considered the most difficult boulder problem in the world and originally graded V14(8B+).[16]
- Crown of Aragorn - Hueco (USA) - 18 February 2016[19]
- Dark Waters - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 9 November 2015[19]
- Free Range (aka cage free assis) - Boulder Canyon (USA) - 21 October 2015[19]
- Don't get too greedy - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 14 October 2015[19]
- Irreversible - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 26 September 2015[19]
- Direction - Bishop (USA) - 4 March 2015[19]
- The Swarm - Bishop (USA) - 23 November 2014 - Some say it may be 8B+(V14)[20]
- Black Lung - Joe's Valley (USA) - 25 November 2014 - First female ascent[19]
- Freaks of the Industry - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 7 September 2014[19]
- The Automator - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 18 August 2014[19]
- Nuthin But Sunshine - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 7 July 2014[19]
- Top Notch - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - 2 July 2014 - First female ascent[19]
References
- 1 2 "Alex Puccio Interview". The Arch Climbing Wall. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ↑ Outside Online. "Climber Alex Puccio". Outside Magazine. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ↑ Dougald MacDonald. "U.S. Bouldering Championships". climbing.com. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ↑ Dougald MacDonald. "U.S. National Bouldering Championships". climbing.com. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ↑ Dougald MacDonald. "Robinson, Puccio Are National Bouldering Champs". climbing.com. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ↑ Dougald MacDonald. "Puccio, Woods Are Bouldering Champs". climbing.com. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ↑ Amanda Fox (13 February 2011). "McColl, Puccio Win ABS 12 Nationals". climbing.com. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ↑ Amanda Fox (27 February 2012). "Woods, Puccio Take Gold at ABS Nationals". climbing.com. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ↑ Amanda Fox (22 February 2013). "Woods, Puccio Reigning Champions at ABS 14". climbing.com. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ↑ Dougald MacDonald. "Americans Shine at Vail World Cup". climbing.com. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ↑ https://www.8a.nu/
- ↑ Leslie Hittmeier (3 July 2014). "Alex Puccio Breaks Into V13 With Top Notch In RMNP". climbing.com. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ↑ Missy Rae (4 August 2014). "Big Weekend Sends for Payne and Puccio". Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ↑ http://www.ifsc-climbing.org (24 August 2014). "Results of the IFSC World Championships Munich 2014 - Boulder". Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ↑ http://www.climbing.com/news/puccio-back-in-top-form-after-knee-injury/
- 1 2 http://www.dpmclimbing.com/articles/view/two-more-v13%E2%80%99s-alex-puccio-hueco
- ↑ http://climbingnarc.com/videos/2015-abs-nationals-alex-puccio-national-champion/
- 1 2 3 http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php/world-competition/calendar#!person=7286&cat=5
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
- ↑ http://climbingnarc.com/2015/02/alex-puccio-sends-the-swarm/