BURSTShauna Coxsey recently made the first female ascent of Britain’s hardest deep water solo, Olympiad 5.13d (8b). She did it in just two goes, making it the fastest send Olympiad has seen. Beyond being the first woman to climb Britain’s hardest deep water solo and sending it the fastest, Coxsey has likely also achieved the hardest deep water solo ever by a woman. Before Coxsey, the hardest deep water solo ascent by a woman was likely Slovenian climber Julija Kruder’s send of Weatherman 5.13c in Mallorca in 2018.
“Olympiad is one of the most captivating climbs I’ve ever seen,” said Coxsey to Red Bull. “I wanted to climb it from the moment I first saw it, but I was braced for a battle. The moves are hard, and it’s a lot longer than I’m used to, plus the logistics are crazy.”
She continued, “Sending this route on my second try from the start was not at all what I expected, and I still can’t quite believe it,” she says. “It was an experience that will stay with me forever and one of my favourite climbing moments to date.”
Olympiad is located in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Neil Gresham made the first ascent back in 2012 – it was the hardest deep water solo in the country when it was established, and it continues to hold that title. It has been repeated by strong climbers, but not many: Ed Morris, Cailean Harker, and Josh Ibbertson are among those who have ticked it.
Coxsey is one of the best female climbers in the world. She was the third woman ever to top V14 with her ascent of New Base Line in Magic Wood, Switzerland in 2014. She has many more V14s to her name, including Hazel Grace in Ticino, Switzerland, Fotofobia SDS in La Pedriza, Spain, and Mito SDS in Sintra, Portugal, which she sent in only two sessions.
She has had a very active 2026. The decorated athlete, who has podiumed at 30 World Cups and has taken home 11 gold medals, made a brief return to comp climbing this year, earning gold at the last-ever Climbing Works International Festival (CWIF) in Sheffield, UK, in March. It was her first time competing since announcing her retirement from competition after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Shortly after the comp, she kicked off her season on rock by sending À Lay’s Blaise Assis V13 and Assis Gauche V12 in Fontainebleau, France.
This summer, she visited Ticino to project Hazel Grace Sit V15/16, but a muscle tear in her forearm and an unprecedented heat wave contributed to the delay of her send. But while there, she made quick work of Francesco Berardino’s Quiet Storm V14.
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