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Alex Puccio
Alex Puccio USA 2017 (cropped).jpg
Alex Puccio at the Boulder Worldcup Finals 2017 in Munich, Germany
Personal information
Nationality American
Born (1989-06-15) June 15, 1989 (age 35)
McKinney, Texas
Height 5 ft 2 in (2013)
Weight 117 lb (2015)
Climbing career
Type of climber Bouldering
Highest grade
Medal record
Women's sport climbing
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Silver 2014 Munich Bouldering
World Cup
Gold 2009 Vail Bouldering
Gold 2018 Vail Bouldering
Silver 2011 Vienna Bouldering
Silver 2011 Vail Bouldering
Silver 2011 Barcelona Bouldering
Silver 2013 Munich Bouldering
Bronze 2011 Log-Dragomer Bouldering
Bronze 2011 Sheffield Bouldering
Bronze 2012 Vienna Bouldering
Bronze 2013 Chongqing Bouldering
Bronze 2013 Kitzbühel Bouldering
Bronze 2013 Toronto Bouldering
Bronze 2013 Vail Bouldering
Bronze 2014 Toronto Bouldering
Rock Master
Gold 2012 Bouldering
Gold 2013 Bouldering
Gold 2014 Bouldering
Updated on 18 March 2013.
Alex Puccio USA 2017-08-19 2207
Alex Puccio climbing at the Boulder Worldcup 2017

Alex Puccio (born Alexandrea Elizabeth Cocca on June 15, 1989) is an amazing American professional climber. She is super good at bouldering, which is a type of rock climbing done on large rocks or small cliffs without ropes. Alex loves to climb both outdoors on real rocks and indoors at climbing gyms. She has won many awards, including the American Bouldering Series eleven times!

Alex Puccio's Climbing Journey

Alex started climbing in 2002 when she was thirteen years old. She began with her mother, and it quickly became her passion. Just four years later, in 2006, she entered the U.S. Bouldering Championships for the first time and won!

Early Wins and World Cup Success

Alex continued to win the U.S. Bouldering Championships in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. She also started competing in the World Cup bouldering events. In 2011, she really shined, reaching the podium five times in different competitions. Since then, she has been a regular finalist in the IFSC Bouldering World Cup.

Tackling Tough Climbs

Alex has climbed over two dozen boulders graded V12 (8A+) in both the United States and Europe. These are very difficult climbs! On July 2, 2014, she climbed Top Notch in Rocky Mountain National Park, which was her first V13 (8B) boulder. Just one month later, she climbed Jade, becoming only the fourth woman ever to climb a V14 boulder. This was a huge achievement in the climbing world.

Overcoming Challenges

Being a top athlete can be tough, and Alex has faced some challenges. In June 2015, she had a knee injury during a competition. She needed surgery and had to take a break from climbing. Even though doctors thought she would be out for many months, Alex worked hard and was back climbing V13 (8B) by October 2015!

In February 2016, she won the Hueco Tanks 'Rock Rodeo' competition. This showed everyone she was still at the top of her game. She also had an amazing week where she completed three V13 (8B) boulders, which was a record for any female climber.

Later in June 2016, Alex had another surgery, this time for a back issue. She had felt pain during a World Cup final but still managed to compete. Just six months after her back surgery, in December 2016, she climbed Terre De Sienne, another V13 (8B) boulder. This showed her incredible strength and determination to keep climbing after serious injuries.

Competing at the Top Level

Alex Puccio is known as America's most successful female bouldering competitor. She has won the ABS National Championship eleven times. She is also the top American female bouldering competitor in international events.

She has won many medals in the Bouldering World Cup. This includes gold medals at the Vail World Cup in 2009 and 2018. In 2014, she won a gold medal at the Arco Rockmaster event and a silver medal at the World Championships for bouldering.

World Cup Rankings

This table shows Alex's overall ranking in the Bouldering World Cup for certain years:

Discipline 2011 2013 2014
Bouldering 3 3 6

Winning Medals

This table shows how many gold, silver, and bronze medals Alex has won in the World Cup each season:

Season Gold Silver Bronze Total
2009 1 0 0 1
2011 0 3 2 5
2012 0 0 1 1
2013 0 1 4 5
2014 0 0 1 1
2018 1 0 0 1
Total 2 4 8 14

Her Toughest Climbs

Here are some of the most difficult boulders Alex Puccio has climbed. The grades like 8B+ and 8B show how incredibly hard these climbs are!

  • 8B+ (V14)
    • Heritage - Val Bavona (Switzerland) - April 23, 2019
    • Penrose Step - Leavenworth (USA) - April 3, 2018
    • New Base Line - Magic Wood (Switzerland) [it], Switzerland - September 2017
    • The Wheel of Chaos - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - September 20, 2014 - First female ascent (meaning she was the first woman to climb it!)
    • Jade - Rocky Mountain National Park (USA) - August 3, 2014 - First female ascent

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alex Puccio para niños

  • List of grade milestones in rock climbing
  • History of rock climbing
  • Rankings of most career IFSC gold medals
  • Angie Payne, American bouldering climber
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