Mia Krampl Olympic preperation interview

Mia Krampl came into 2019 as one of the best youth climbers with several Championship podiums. Then, she achieved her best results ever by getting the silver in both the Lead Euro and World Championships. Later, the 19-year-old did it again by qualifying to the Olympics in Toulouse in a spectacular way.

First, she was #7 out of the 8 finalists in both Speed and Boulder. Then, first out in Lead, she made it 3/4 up the routes. Later, four girls came one hold short meaning she won Lead and got the Olympic ticket, surprisingly, just ahead of her Slovenian teammate, Lucka Rakovec. (c) Tristan Hobson

How was that finish just beating your training partner Lucka?
Try to imagine how it feels to take you best friend's biggest dreams away... Well, that is how I felt. I am so lucky that Lucka has such a powerful personality and that she reacted the way she did. She didn't hate me for what happened, she was really supportive instead and that is why our friendship means so much to me. If you are following the world cups you probably already realized how different our climbing styles are. The best thing about this is that we can learn from each other, observe and try to repeat the moves the way other has done it. And the training process is way funnier if the company is good!

How has your training preparation towards the Olympics been?
Training in 2020 went pretty well. Looking back on the past year, I have to admit I had some hard times where I wasn't motivated as I should be due to the lack of competitions and challenges or because I wanted to make progress in my disadvantages. Training only things you are bad at is sometimes mentally hard. I needed to stay focused on my goals and trust the plan! It was a weird year but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. I have learnt a lot about myself and I enjoyed the training process.

To find some challenges despite cancelled competitions, I went to rocks a few times and challenge myself in a different way. I even did my first 8b. I have spent the year training boulders, short routes and speed. Training plan for the start of this year is pretty similar. I will add some endurance training in the next months. The most important part of the training plan in to trust the plan and give 300% in!

I train 4 to 5 times a week. My teammates are Anže Peharc, Lucka Rakovec and Andrej Polak. We usually train in groups of 2-4 athletes. I also have condition training once or twice a week where I am focusing on the lower body part. My speed is still in progress. Right now my PB is 10.32 but I want to be faster. I still have some time! 🤞🏻I do one speed training a week and my goal is to make as much progress as I can until this summer!

What are your competition plans during 2021?
I didn't make exact plans which competitions I will attend yet, but I can already tell I will skip all World cups that don't take place in Europe, at least until the Olympics. I will make further plans later. It all depends on how I will feel after the Olympic Games and how tired I will be. There is a lot of training and hard work in the plan until that!

Will you do any specific training for the heat in Tokyo?
No, I don't plan any specific training for hot conditions that will be challenging us in Tokyo. Even Slovenian summers are pretty hot so this year we won't use any air conditioning and this will be my preparation for Tokyo's heat. (Just kidding!)

Who are the strongest contenders for gold in your opinion?
Hmmm... I wouldn't dare to announce the Olympic gold medallists. There are so many good climbers and it is so hard to predict what will happen especially in a combined format.