Adam Ondra and Jessica Pilz Knock Everyone Out. The Show Continues at Rock Masters in Arco

Their names are Adam Ondra and Jessica Pilz, and they solve “problems”. The ones set by Rock Master’s KO Boulder, which delivered a night to remember yesterday evening. After Friday’s duels, the Climbing Stadium lit up for the long-awaited battle on the blocs, with twists, unexpected eliminations and spectacular finals.

With Monte Colodri illuminated by the logo of this special edition of Rock Master, celebrating forty years of climbing competitions in Arco, Adam Ondra took his revenge on Filip Schenk after the Lead Duel final and claimed a highly technical KO Boulder title. The Czech star came out on top in a far-from-predictable competition, fought right to the end and driven by the energy of an overflowing crowd. Filip Schenk, loudly applauded after his Lead Duel victory, had to settle for second place this time, while Slovenia’s Luka Potočar finished third after an excellent performance.

After first-round eliminations for Japan’s Shion Omata and Switzerland’s Jonas Utelli, the surprises came in the second round, when Sascha Lehmann and, above all, Giovanni Placci from Faenza had to leave the competition after three attempts without reaching the top. At the same time, Flohé, Ondra and Schenk showed they were clearly in their element.

On the third bloc, Ondra booked his place in the final on his first attempt, Potočar on his second and Schenk on his last, after coming dangerously close to elimination. The surprise exit was Germany’s Yannick Flohé, reigning champion and inevitably one of the main favourites before the start.

In the final, between Schenk, Ondra and Potočar, the battle came alive especially between the first two. The two stars pushed higher and higher, hold after hold, without quite managing to get close to the top. In the end, however, it was once again Adam Ondra who celebrated. The Czech climber won thanks to the lowest number of errors on the route to the final, and after his second place in the Lead Duel he took his revenge on Schenk in the most spectacular way, raising his Rock Master victory record to nine. 

In the women’s competition, the first twists came even before the start: Lead Duel runner-up Brooke Raboutou and Aleksandra Totkova were forced to withdraw due to the return of physical issues. Unfortunately, this prevented them from competing, but not from watching, alongside the legendary guests of this special edition, an equally adrenaline-filled contest.

In the first round, Japan’s Hana Koike started strongly, reaching the top on her first attempt. She was followed on the second attempt by Anna Maria Apel, Lučka Rakovec and Laura Rogora, who could count on an extra push from a crowd fully behind her. Belgium’s Héloïse Doumont, third in the Lead Duel, left the competition early. On the second bloc, Pilz immediately found her rhythm, as did Rakovec, while Anna Maria Apel was eliminated. In the third round, it was Laura Rogora who had to leave a contest that sent Hana Koike, Lučka Rakovec and Jessica Pilz into the final. 

After a first failed attempt from all three finalists, Jessica Pilz quickly worked out the problem, placing both hands on the top and securing another victory after her Lead Duel success, with the Climbing Stadium crowd raising the decibels to the limit. 

Today the curtain falls on the Rock Master festival and the celebrations in Arco.

KO Boulder Rock Masters 2026

Men: 1 Adam Ondra CZE; 2 Filip Schenk ITA; 3 Luka Potočar SLO; 4 Yannick Flohé GER; 5 Giovanni Placci ITA; 6 Sascha Lehmann SUI; 7 Shion Omata JPN; 8 Jonas Utelli SUI

Women: 1 Jessica Pilz AUT; 2 Lučka Rakovec SLO; 3 Hana Koike JPN; 4 Laura Rogora ITA; 5 Anna Maria Apel GER; 6 Héloïse Doumont BEL