Nicolai Užnik
_2019.jpg) Užnik in 2019 | |||||||||||||||
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| Born | 11 August 2000 | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Professional rock climber | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 60 kg (132 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Nicolai Užnik (born 11 August 2000) is an Austrian professional rock climber specializing in bouldering. He is known for his first ascent of Mount Doom, the first grade 9A (V17) in Austria and one of the hardest boulders in the world.[2][3] In competition climbing, Užnik is a three-time Austrian bouldering champion (2020, 2022, 2023) and won gold at the 2022 European Bouldering Championships. He is of Slovene origin.
Climbing career
[edit]Bouldering
[edit]In 2023, Užnik climbed Emotional Landscapes in Maltatal, Austria. Originally graded 8C (V15), Užnik upgraded the boulder to 8C+ (V16) due to a broken foothold which made the climb harder than previous ascents.[4][5]
In November 2024, Užnik flashed American Gangster, an 8B+ (V14) established by Daniel Woods. It was the hardest flash of his career; Gripped magazine called the performance "near-flawless".[6] The same month, he became the first to repeat Unison, an 8C (V15) by Aidan Roberts.[7]
Užnik nearly flashed Forgotten Gem, an 8C (V15) in Chironico, Switzerland, in January 2025, completing the climb on his second try.[8]
In February 2025, Užnik announced the first ascent of Mount Doom, which he graded 9A (V17), the top grade in bouldering at the time. He had worked on the project starting in 2021, and was only able to perform the individual moves by 2024. The month before his ascent, he fell from the top of the route and twisted his ankle.[9] Despite not having previously climbed 9A, Užnik stated in an interview after he was "quite certain" of the grade, as he had experience attempting Alphane, a consensus 9A in Switzerland.[1] The grade was eventually confirmed by fellow Austrian climber Jakob Schubert, marking it as one of the hardest boulders in the world.[10]
In November 2025, Užnik sent Brain Rot 8C+ (V16)[11], then came within a single move of a flash of La Force Tranquille 8C (V15). He completed the climb the next day.[5]
Competition climbing
[edit]
In 2020, Užnik won his first national title at the Austrian Bouldering Championships.[12] He won again in 2022[13] and 2023, where he narrowly beat training partner Jakob Schubert.[14]
Užnik finished fourth in the bouldering event at the 2022 World Games.[15] Later that year, Užnik won gold in bouldering at the European Climbing Championships. After coming 3rd in qualifying, he finished with 49.6 points, ahead of Sam Avezou (49.5) and Adam Ondra (49.0). Užnik's victory came despite recently recovering from a COVID-19 infection, which had harmed his fitness.[16]
At the 2023 Climbing World Championships, Užnik finished fifth in bouldering.[17]
Notable ascents
[edit]Boulder problems
[edit]9A (V17):
- Mount Doom – Maltatal (AUT) – February 2025. First ascent, grade confirmed by Jakob Schubert.[10]
8C+ (V16)
8C (V15)
8B+ (V14)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Jobstraibitzer, Horst (7 March 2025). "Nicolai Užnik mit Erstbegehung von Mount Doom 9A" [Nicolai Užnik with the first ascent of Mount Doom 9A]. Climax (in German). Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Nicolai Užnik establishes 'Mount Doom' (9A) in Maltatal". Planet Mountain. 2 March 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Nicolai Uznik succeeds in the first ascent of Mount Doom (9A) in the Malta Valley". La Crux. 1 March 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Emotional Landscapes 8C (+) by Nicolai Uznik". Vertical Life. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ a b c Pardy, Aaron (16 November 2025). "Heartbreakingly Close V15 Flash Attempt for Nicolai Užnik". Gripped. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ a b Pardy, Aaron (23 January 2025). "A Surprisingly Flowy Flash of a Daniel Woods V14". Gripped. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Garnbret, Graham, Uznik & Co boulder hard". La Crux. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Nicolai Užnik does Forgotten Gem (8C) 2nd go". Vertical Life. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ Pullan, Brandon (7 October 2025). "Uncut Footage of the First Ascent of Mount Doom V17". Gripped. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Jakob Schubert makes second ascent of 9A boulder problem Mount Doom". Planet Mountain. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Nicolai Užnik does Brain rot 8C (+) in an hour". Vertical Life. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Erster Staatsmeistertitel für Užnik" [Užnik's first national championship title]. ORF (in German). 25 September 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Užnik im Boulder-Finale eine Klasse für sich!" [Užnik was in a class of his own in the bouldering final!]. Austria Climbing (in German). 20 September 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Jessica Pilz und Nicolai Užnik gewinnen die österreichische Boulder Staatsmeisterschaft 2023" [Jessica Pilz and Nicolai Užnik win the Austrian Bouldering National Championship 2023]. Kletterszene (in German). 23 March 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Sport Climbing – Men's Boulder – Final – Results" (PDF). swog2022.sportresult.com. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Uznik holt sensationell Gold im Bouldern" [Uznik wins sensational gold in bouldering]. ORF (in German). 13 August 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ Fassbender, Ina (4 August 2023). "Uznik WM-Fünfter im Bouldern – Schubert im Halbfinale out" [Uznik finishes fifth at the World Championships in bouldering – Schubert eliminated in the semi-finals]. Der Standard (in German). Associated Press. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
