Laura Rogora Becomes Second Woman To Send 9b (5.15b)
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On Saturday, July 25, Laura Rogora posted on Instagram that she had sent Ali Hulk Sit Extension Total, 9b (5.15b) in Rodellar, Spain. At just 19 years old, Rogora is now the second woman to have climbed the grade, after Angie Eiter, who sent La Planta de Shiva (9b) in 2017.
Rogora is perhaps best known for her accomplishments on plastic. She was the 2018 Youth Bouldering World Champion and the 2019 Youth Bouldering, Lead and Combined World Champion. In the 2019 Toulouse Olympic Qualifier, she became Italy’s first woman to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
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Despite her focus on competitions, Rogora is no stranger to the outdoor world. In 2016, at just 14 years old, she sent her first 5.14d, Grandi Gesti, a 40-meter roof in Sperlonga, Italy. Since the pandemic, she’s been on a rampage. In late May, she became the fifth woman to send 5.15a or harder with her ascent of Pure Dreaming Plus.
Less than a month later, she’s proven it was no fluke.
Ali Hulk Sit Extension Total is the extension of Ali Hulk, 9a (5.14d), which was originally established by Dani Andrada. Extension were added by Piotr Schab and Jonathan Flor to make the total route 9b.
According to 8a.nu, Rogora has now redpointed 13 routes that are 8c+/9a or harder, which is more than any other female climber in the world.
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