Today, Le Bourget welcomed Sport Climbing’s last medal event of Paris 2024: Women’s Boulder & Lead: Final. Among the eight (8) Finalists was Team USA’s Brooke Raboutou, who finished 3rd in the Semifinal. Raboutou found herself at the top of Boulder 1 in four (4) attempts, holding the swing for 24.7 of the 25.0 possible points. That boulder saw tops from all but two (2) competitors. Moving along to Boulder 2, Raboutou slid across slippery volumes to find the feet, and earned herself another top, again alongside five (5) other competitors. Boulder 3 was the first to really separate the field, notably shutting down Great Britain’s Erin McNeice and France’s Oriane Bertone, who both had near perfect scores up until that point, before they could reach the 5 hold. Raboutou, however, powered through the steepest terrain of the round, reaching the 5, the 10, and then the top shortly after. The only other tops on that boulder came from Japan’s Ai Mori and Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret. Boulder 4 was the most difficult of the round, and not a single competitor reached the top. Raboutou matched Garnbret’s score of 9.8 points. In total, the Boulder round gave Raboutou 84.0 points and a 2nd place ranking. That put her just 0.4 points behind Garnbret, but 24.3 points ahead of the next competitor, Australia’s Oceania Mackenzie, as she shifted her focus to Lead. The Lead route quickly returned a wide range of scores, with Korea’s Seo Chaehyun earning 76.1 points, Great Britain’s Erin McNeice earning 68.1 points, and Australia’s Oceania Mackenzie earning 45.1 points. At the time Raboutou stepped onto the stage, Japan’s Ai Mori had the best Lead score by far, earning 96.1 points as she fell lunging for the top. Brooke earned 72.0 points in the Lead round, raising her to the top of the field while she waited for Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret to rope up. Garnbret climbed just a few moves higher, earning 84.1 points. Once points were combined, Garnbret earned 168.5 total points. Raboutou earned 156.0, winning a silver medal for Team USA. That makes Raboutou the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic medal in Sport Climbing. When asked how it feels to share the podium with Garnbret, who is a close friend of Raboutou’s, she said, “This was just the dream. We have an incredible friendship, where we both want each other to do our best. That’s what happened today, and it feels really good to share that with somebody.” That concludes Sport Climbing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Sport Climbing will return for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. You can watch Sport Climbing on TeamUSA.com, the NBC Olympics app, and Peacock. Up-to-date schedules, as well as live results, will be available on Olympics.com.
Colin Duffy and seven (7) other competitors from the Semifinal rounds returned to the stage in Le Bourget today for the Men’s Boulder & Lead: Final, where this week’s electric crowd was waiting for another dramatic day of competition. Duffy jumped and swung to the top of Boulder 1 in seven (7) attempts – that boulder saw tops from most of the competition, but stumped three (3). Boulder 2 tested the field’s footwork, as they made delicate steps along the slab. Duffy matched most of his competitors’ performances, reaching the 10 hold but failing to top. That boulder saw only one (1) top, from Japan’s Anraku Sorato. The top hold of Boulder 3 spit climbers off the wall time and time again, including Duffy, and Great Britain’s Toby Roberts was the only competitor to reach the top. Meanwhile, Duffy’s coordination skills stood up to the test as he claimed the only top on Boulder 4. In total, the Boulder round gave Duffy 68.3 points and a 2nd place ranking as he prepared for Lead. Duffy was second to climb in Lead, following Hamish McArthur’s (GBR) 72.0 points. Duffy looked calm on the route, seemingly shaking out one hand while only swinging from the other shortly before the 60 hold. That gave him a Combined total of 136.4 points, but he’d have to wait until the next six (6) competitors’ scores were finalized to determine his ranking. Of course, three (3) of those were mathematically incapable of meeting Duffy’s Combined score, even if they were to receive the full 100 points in Lead, so Duffy’s fate was truly in the hands of Austria’s Jakob Schubert, Great Britain’s Toby Roberts, and Japan’s Anraku Sorato. Schubert earned an impressive 96.0 points in Lead, while Roberts earned 92.1 points and Anraku earned 76.1 points. Once scores were combined, that landed Roberts in 1st, Anraku in 2nd, and Schubert in 3rd, with Duffy missing the podium by just 3.2 points. Duffy finished 4th overall in the Men’s Boulder & Lead discipline. “I’m very proud of how far I’ve come since Tokyo,” said Duffy after the round. “It’s just the start.” Tomorrow, August 10, Team USA’s Brooke Raboutou returns to the stage for the Women’s Boulder & Lead: Final. You can watch Sport Climbing live (or on-demand at any time after the events) on TeamUSA.com, the NBC Olympics app, and Peacock. Up-to-date schedules, as well as live results, will be available on Olympics.com.
The fourth day of climbing at Paris 2024 brought more opportunities for advancement and medals. The Women’s Combined: Semifinal (Lead) welcomed back Team USA’s Natalia Grossman and Brooke Raboutou, while the Men’s Speed: Final welcomed back Team USA’s Sam Watson. Raboutou Advances to Women’s Combined Finals The 20 Women’s Combined climbers who competed in the Boulder round on Tuesday (where Grossman and Raboutou finished 5th and 3rd, respectively) returned to complete their scores in the Lead round. Grossman earned 39.1 points in the Lead round, giving her a Combined total of 108.3. Unfortunately, that gave her a ranking of 11th place, just a few spaces outside of Finals. Raboutou earned 72.1 points in the Lead round, for a Combined total of 155.8 and a 3rd place ranking, advancing her to the Women’s Combined: Final on August 10. Looking forward to Saturday, Raboutou said, “I just want to go out there and give everything I have, be present in the moment and determined, and no holding back.” Watson Wins Bronze, Sets Another World Record for USA in Men’s Speed Today offered another chance for medals in Sport Climbing, this time for the eight (8) Men’s Speed finalists. Team USA’s Sam Watson had the crowd’s full attention after setting a world record (4.75) in the Qualification round on Tuesday and telling the world, “the job’s not finished.” In the quarterfinal, Watson was paired with New Zealand’s Julian David. Watson finished in 5.03 seconds, beating David’s time of 5.65 seconds. That sent Watson to the semifinal, racing against China’s Wu Peng. Watson lost that race by a mere 0.08 seconds, taking him out of the big final, but sending him to the small final against Iran’s Reza Alipour Shenazandifard. There, he won the race and made history again, setting another world record 0.01 seconds faster than his last. With just 4.74 seconds on the clock, Watson secured a bronze medal, Team USA’s first Sport Climbing medal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. “I’m very happy to be on this stage, and I have no regrets,” said Watson after the performance. “To be an Olympic medallist, to hold it in my hand with a piece of the Eiffel Tower in it – nobody can ever take that away from me.” Tomorrow, August 9, Team USA’s Colin Duffy returns to the stage for the Men’s Combined: Final. You can watch Sport Climbing live (or on-demand at any time after the events) on TeamUSA.com, the NBC Olympics app, and Peacock. Up-to-date schedules, as well as live results, will be available on Olympics.com.
The third day of climbing at Paris 2024 brought back three of Team USA’s Sport Climbers for the Men’s Combined: Semifinal (Lead) and Women’s Speed: Final. The stakes were the highest they’ve been yet, with tickets to Finals on the line for the men and the first Sport Climbing medals of Paris 2024 on the line for the women. Duffy Advances to Men’s Combined Finals All 20 of the Men’s Combined climbers returned to the stage for Lead, having locked in their Boulder scores on Monday. Representing Team USA were Jesse Grupper and Colin Duffy, who ranked 18th and 11th in the Boulder round and were both excited for Lead to begin. Grupper scored 12.0 points in the Lead round, halted just past the 10 hold. That second section of the route, between the 10 and the 30, is where eight (8) other climbers also fell from the wall. That gave Grupper a combined total of 30.9 points, ranking him 18th and eliminating him from the field. Meanwhile, Duffy moved fairly quickly and efficiently through much of the terrain, passing the final holds for many of his competitors. Duffy fell shortly before the 60 hold, on the steepest portion of the wall. He ultimately scored a combined total of 87.9 points, ranking him 7th in the field and securing his spot at Finals. Looking forward to Friday, Duffy told us, “I’m gonna go out there, show them my best, and just enjoy the moment.” Hunt Finishes 5th in Women’s Speed The first Final event of Sport Climbing welcomed eight (8) Women’s Speed athletes back to the stage. Team USA’s Emma Hunt was paired with Indonesia’s Rajiah Sallsabillah for Quarterfinal 3. A close race to start, a slip cost her the race and eliminated her from the field, awarding a 5th place ranking overall. Leaving the stage, Hunt stopped time and time again to cheer on competitors who were still climbing and exchange hugs with athletes who had also been eliminated. Speaking briefly on the round, Hunt said, “I’m super grateful. I’ve had a great support team with me from USA Climbing, my family and my friends, and my personal coach, so it’s been just an amazing experience.” Hunt will surely be remembered for her Pan American Record in the Qualification Round, but also for her poise after a difficult and emotional competition day. Tomorrow, August 8, Team USA’s Natalia Grossman, Brooke Raboutou, and Sam Watson return to the stage for the Women’s Combined: Semifinal (Lead) and Men’s Speed: Final. You can watch Sport Climbing live (or on-demand at any time after the events) on TeamUSA.com, the NBC Olympics app, and Peacock. Up-to-date schedules, as well as live results, will be available on Olympics.com.
Climbing continued today at the Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue, this time hosting Women’s Combined: Semifinal (Boulder) and Men’s Speed: Qualification. Four (4) athletes took to the stage to represent Team USA for another packed stadium. Grossman and Raboutou Finish 5th and 3rd in Women’s Combined: Semifinal (Boulder) 20 women representing 13 National Olympic Committees competed in the Boulder round, including Natalia Grossman and Brooke Raboutou. It was Grossman’s first Olympic appearance and Raboutou’s second, having competed alongside Colin Duffy in Tokyo three years ago. Grossman climbed further than most of her competition on Boulder 1, but was ultimately stopped at the 10 hold. After that, Boulder 2 went perfectly for her – she was one of just two (2) athletes (the other being Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret) to flash Boulder 2, reaching the top hold on her very first attempt. Grossman went on to reach another 10 hold on Boulder 3 and another top hold on Boulder 4, finishing 5th in the round. Raboutou made a strong impression, becoming one of only four (4) athletes to top Boulder 1. She then topped Boulder 2 in just two (2) attempts. Things finally slowed down for her on Boulder 3, where she reached the 10 hold. She found her 3rd top hold of the round on Boulder 4, showcasing her comfort on powerful and technical boulders alike and finishing 3rd in the round. “That definitely lit the fire in me and I’m really excited for more,” said Raboutou after the round. Watson Advances and Sets World Record in Men’s Speed: Qualification, Hammer Eliminated 14 men from 11 National Olympic Committees raced in the Speed Qualification, including Zach Hammer and Sam Watson for Team USA. Just as the women did one day before, the men began with a seeding heat, establishing ranking based on fastest times. The previous Olympic record (5.45) was broken time and time again, with Watson briefly holding the Olympic record (4.91), but it eventually settled with Indonesia’s Veddriq Leonardo (4.79), only beating Watson’s world record by mere thousandths of a second. Hammer’s fastest time in the seeding heat was his first (6.05). While his second race had a fantastic start, a slip landed him in almost the same position (6.06) as the first race. Those times resulted in Watson and Hammer being paired for the elimination heat, one Team USA climber versus the other. That’s where Watson made history, reaching the buzzer in just 4.75 seconds, a new world record. Hammer lost the race and was ultimately eliminated, but hugged and congratulated Watson once they reached the ground. Speaking after the round, Waston told us, “I want to be the best athlete, I want to keep pushing the limits. That’s always the person I’ve been and that’s always the person I’ll be in this sport.” Tomorrow, August 7, Team USA’s Colin Duffy, Jesse Grupper, and Emma Hunt return to the stage for Men’s Combined: Semifinal (Lead) and Women’s Speed: Final. You can watch Sport Climbing live (or on-demand at any time after the events) on TeamUSA.com, the NBC Olympics app, and Peacock. Up-to-date schedules, as well as live results, will be available on Olympics.com.
The first day of Sport Climbing competition kicked off this morning at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The venue in Le Bourget welcomed an energetic crowd of roughly 6,000 spectators for two rounds of Sport Climbing: Men’s Combined: Semifinal (Boulder) and Women’s Speed: Qualification. Duffy and Grupper Finish 11th and 18th in Men’s Combined: Semifinal (Boulder) Among the 20 men representing 15 National Olympic Committees in the Boulder round were Colin Duffy and Jesse Grupper. Duffy stepped into the Olympic Field of Play for the second time, following his participation in Tokyo three years ago, while Grupper made his Olympic debut. It proved to be a tough round, with only six of the 20 athletes topping a boulder (which awards up to 25 points). Duffy reached the 10 hold on three (3) boulders and the 5 hold on one (1) boulder, earning him 33.8 points after deductions for attempts. That landed him in 11th place. Meanwhile, Grupper reached the 10 hold on one (1) boulder and the 5 hold on two (2) boulders, earning him 18.9 points. That landed him in 18th place. Both men expressed frustration after the Boulder round, but also excitement and optimism for the Lead round, which they consider their specialty. The Men’s Combined: Semifinal (Lead) will take place on Wednesday, August 7 – scores from Boulder and Lead will be combined to determine the eight (8) climbers that advance to finals. Hunt Advances and Sets Pan American Record, Kelly Sets “PR PR” in Women’s Speed: Qualification Stepping up to the plate below the 15-meter speed wall were 14 women representing 9 National Olympic Committees. The athletes began with a seeding heat, establishing ranking based on fastest times. Records fell, with Emma Hunt briefly setting a new Olympic Record of 6.36 seconds, only to have Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslaw beat it with a new World Record of 6.06 seconds. Hunt still had plenty to celebrate during the seeding heat – 6.36 seconds is a new Pan American Women’s Speed record and her personal best at an international competition. Meanwhile, Piper Kelly had her own breakthrough. During her first race in the seeding heat, she hit the buzzer at 7.39 seconds. That’s what Kelly calls a PR PR, a “post rupture personal record,” which is something she’s been chasing ever since rupturing a pulley in her finger a few months ago. Moving to the elimination heat, Hunt found herself racing France’s Manon Lebon, but finished with a time of 6.38 seconds, beating Lebon’s time of 7.07 seconds. After the race, the two turned to the crowd and held hands, celebrating the moment. Hunt’s win secured her spot at the quarterfinals, which will happen on Wednesday, August 7. Kelly raced against Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi, but a slip cost her that race, ultimately eliminating her from the round. Tomorrow, August 6, the Games will welcome Team USA’s Natalia Grossman, Brooke Raboutou, Zach Hammer, and Sam Watson to the stage for Women’s Combined: Semifinal (Boulder) and Men’s Speed: Qualification. You can watch Sport Climbing live (or on-demand at any time after the events) on TeamUSA.com, the NBC Olympics app, and Peacock. Up-to-date schedules, as well as live results, will be available on Olympics.com.
All eight of Team USA’s Sport Climbing athletes arrived in Barcelona this past weekend for a pre-Games training camp. Hosted at Sharma Climbing Gavà, the camp offers the US athletes a dedicated training space, a team of carefully selected routesetters, and an opportunity to focus in with USA Climbing’s high performance staff before returning to Paris. View this post on Instagram A post shared by USA Climbing (@usaclimbing) “It’s been a new and exciting experience to have all the athletes (Boulder & Lead and Speed) training together at the same time,” said Natalia Grossman (Women’s Boulder & Lead). “Everyone at Sharma Climbing has also been very welcoming and accommodating and I’m grateful for their support!” Camaraderie was front and center, as the team trained alongside Chris Sharma, legendary climber and founder of Sharma Climbing, Alberto Ginés López, who won a gold medal at Tokyo 2020 and will represent Spain at Paris 2024, Leslie Romero, who will also represent Spain at Paris 2024, and Erik Noya, who represents Spain’s national team. Colin Duffy, Natalia Grossman, Jesse Grupper, Zach Hammer, Emma Hunt, Piper Kelly, Brooke Raboutou, and Sam Watson will all continue their training in Paris later this week. Sport Climbing saw its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. This year, Sport Climbing returns to the Olympics with twice as many medal events, including Boulder & Lead (Combined) and Speed. Competition is happening from August 5-10, with eight climbers representing Team USA. You can watch Sport Climbing live (or on-demand at any time after the events) on TeamUSA.com, the NBC Olympics app, and Peacock. Up-to-date schedules, as well as live results, will be available on Olympics.com.
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is happening on Friday, July 26. For the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games, the Opening Ceremony will not take place in a stadium, but instead on the Seine. More than 10,500 athletes will float along the city’s river in boats, including Colin Duffy, Jesse Grupper, Zach Hammer, Emma Hunt, Piper Kelly, Brooke Raboutou, and Sam Watson. Jesse Grupper, Sam Watson, Colin Duffy, Piper Kelly, Zach Hammer, Emma Hunt and Brooke Raboutou try on clothes at the Team USA Welcome Experience ahead of Paris 2024 (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for USOPC) “Being alongside the best athletes in the world to float along the Seine will definitely be something to remember,” said Zach Hammer, who will be representing Team USA for his first Olympic Games. “I hope everyone will tune in to see it!” How To Watch You can watch the Opening Ceremony, as well as all Sport Climbing competition days, on TeamUSA.com, the NBC Olympics app, and Peacock. Friday, July 26: Live coverage of the Opening Ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. ET. The Ceremony is expected to last over three hours. Visit NBCOlympics.com/FAQ for more information on watching the Paris Olympics, including links to download the NBC, NBC Olympics, and Peacock apps. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates.
The Olympic Games Paris 2024, where Sport Climbing will make its second Olympic appearance, are right around the corner. Team USA is sending a full team of climbers, with two athletes per gender per discipline: Combined (Boulder & Lead) and Speed. Find streaming info and the current schedule below so you can cheer on our climbers from home. How To Watch You can watch Sport Climbing live (or on-demand at any time after the events) on TeamUSA.com, the NBC Olympics app, and Peacock. Up-to-date schedules, as well as live results, will be available on Olympics.com. Monday, August 5: Men’s Boulder & Lead semi-final, Boulder round; Women’s Speed qualification Tuesday, August 6: Women’s Boulder & Lead semi-final, Boulder round; Men’s Speed qualification Wednesday, August 7: Men’s Boulder & Lead semi-final, Lead round; Women’s Speed final Thursday, August 8: Women’s Boulder & Lead semi-final, Lead round; Men’s Speed final Friday, August 9: Men’s Boulder & Lead finals Saturday, August 10: Women’s Boulder & Lead finals Visit NBCOlympics.com/FAQ for more information on watching the Paris Olympics, including links to download the NBC, NBC Olympics, and Peacock apps. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Brooke Raboutou took first place at the Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest, following her win in Shanghai and alongside qualification for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Raboutou already mathematically qualified for Paris after claiming the highest scores in both the Boulder and Lead phases of the Semi-Final. In the crowd, spectators could be heard asking each other, “Do you think she’ll try to win? She’s already qualified.” Brooke quickly made her intentions clear, topping 3 of the 4 problems with ease in the Boulder phase and claiming the second-highest score, behind only Nonaka Miho of Japan. Moving right along to the Lead phase, the women fought through steep terrain, with Laura Rogora of Italy guarding the top score of 76.0 points for most of the round. As the last competitor to take the stage, Raboutou matched that score, securing her win. Speaking about the Final round, Raboutou said, “It was exciting, it was hard. Yesterday was a very hard bouldering round which left us very tired. We had a lot of adrenaline today, but that was the cherry on top. I’m excited and I’m happy with my climbing.” USA Climbing National Team Head Coach Josh Larson added, “(Winning) after already knowing you’re going to the Games takes a different mindset. I’m proud of her.” Raboutou is the 8th and final US climber to officially qualify for Paris, making the US the only team to fill all quota places in Sport Climbing. Full results from the Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest can be found here, while global standings can be found here. You can rewatch all the rounds of the Olympic Qualifier Series on Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices. Sport Climbing will make its second Olympic appearance from August 5-10, 2024 at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. In case you needed another a reason to watch Sport Climbing, Raboutou says, “Climbing really has it all. It’s a very physical sport, but there are a lot of skill sets as well. But the biggest thing for me is the mental component, which I think is really exciting.” “We haven’t seen these climbs before, and solving them without ever seeing them, that needs creativity and complexity. The training that goes into that, then to perform to your best physical ability, not many sports have that. I hope people appreciate climbing for that, as well as the camaraderie and community.” Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates and behind-the-scenes action.
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Zach Hammer sang his favorite song as he exited the gate for Speed Finals at the Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest. Springing into action alongside Hryhorii Ilchyshyn of Ukraine, Hammer won his 1/8 final race with an impressive time of 5.15 seconds, securing him 7th place at the Budapest event and 6th place in the Olympic Qualifier Series as a whole. With that, Hammer joins Team USA for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the first Olympic Games to feature the Speed discipline as its own medal event. “It’s been a long journey and I’m super proud of myself,” said Hammer, with his ticket to Paris in hand. “I want to thank all my coaches and my family. They’re all here to support me and celebrate and I couldn’t do it without them. This means so much!” Hammer is the 7th US climber to officially qualify for Paris, alongside Sam Watson in Men’s Speed. Full results from the Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest can be found here, while global standings can be found here. You can rewatch all the Speed rounds of the Olympic Qualifier Series on Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices. Sport Climbing will make its second Olympic appearance from August 5-10, 2024 at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates and behind-the-scenes action.
SANTIAGO, Chile (Oct. 24, 2023) – Natalia Grossman (Boulder, CO) climbed with confidence and poise from the first boulder and on through the lead wall, to take gold at the Pan American Games in Santiago. With the medal, came the ultimate prize of a spot on Team USA for the Paris 2024 Olympics. USA Climbing teammate Brooke Raboutou (Boulder, CO) took silver, 12 points back. In the final event of sport climbing’s debut at the Pan American Games, Canadian Alannah Yip took the bronze with Anastasia Sanders (Fort Worth, TX) finishing fourth. In the boulders, Grossman came out strong and smooth, topping each of the first three, accumulating 84.3 points – a 14.9 point margin over Raboutou. “As soon as I did the first boulder, I was like, ‘okay, game on – let’s do this!’” said Grossman. “And I think it just set up my round really nicely.” Grossman was strong throughout the boulder round. Raboutou, after missing the top on boulder one, kept pace through the final three. Heading over to the lead wall, Grossman needed to falter and Raboutou needed the climb of her life. Raboutou would climb last. Grossman hit the wall smiling, climbing with purpose. She had one notable challenge but kept powering forward. “There was one point midway where I almost fell,” she said. “I hit a hold with my finger, like it got stuck. But I was able to recompose.” Once she crested to the upper reaches of the wall her confidence really kicked in. “Once I was on the headwall and got to the 60 point, I was like, ‘okay, I really want to get as high as I can.’ And it’s easier for me to fight once I’m on the headwall because it becomes more technical. And I feel I was able to do that.” With Grossman having hit the 60 point mark, the odds were stacked against Raboutou. She attacked the wall with a vengeance, advancing up onto the headwall with the crowd solidly behind her, passing Grossman’s top mark before her climb ended. “My goal on the lead climb was to fight as hard as I could,” said Raboutou. “And I can’t be too upset because I did that.” As hard as she climbed, finishing second took an emotional toll. “I have a lot of feelings right now,” said Raboutou. “This is a hard competition. As excited as I am to be on the podium, it’s an Olympic qualifier and it was only the winner who goes. We all knew this would be pretty devastating for the second place person. Natalia and I have worked very hard and are at a similar level. We knew it would be a battle between us.” For USA Climbing Head Coach Josh Larson, it came down to little things. “Tonight was a night of little mistakes making the difference,” he said. “When we came into this event, I knew that it was either one of them taking this spot. And it was really going to come down to a very small mistake. And that’s what happened. And it was really hard to catch up to that mistake on Brooke’s end. But Brooke climbed that route really, really, really well – she climbed it exceptionally. The best climber on the route tonight!” Grossman attributed her level of confidence and her success to changes in her own training program over the past few months. “With Natalia, we focused a little bit more on lead,” said Larson. “But I think the ultimate thing we focused on was just with each training session each day, just really being present in that day – not really thinking about what’s coming up or what we did yesterday. We’re really, really present-moment thinking. And we trained more lead because we knew that lead meant a lot in this.” Like her three teammates who had clinched Paris 2024 spots in the previous days, Grossman was ecstatic but using the time to reflect. “My feelings are just like gratitude and joy for all those people who have been a part of my journey,” she said, “and those who have just been there with me these past few months. I changed a lot up in my life and in training. And to see it pay off, it feels incredible.” Raboutou still has a very viable pathway to Paris 2024 through the Olympic Qualifying Series next spring. She needs to finish in the top 10 overall across the two events – in Budapest and Shanghai – to get a shot at the Olympics. WOMEN’S BOULDER & LEAD Oct. 24, 2023 1. Natalia Grossman (Boulder, CO) 172.4 (84.3, 88.1) 2. Brooke Raboutou (Boulder, CO) 165.4 (69.4, 96.3) 3. Alannah Yip, Canada 128.7 (64.7, 64.4) 4. Anastasia Sanders (Fort Worth, TX) 115.1 (39.0, 76.1) 5. Alejandra Contreras, Chile 91.5 (34.5, 57.0) USA CLIMBING PAN AM MEDALISTS Women’s Speed Gold – Piper Kelly Silver – Emma Hunt Men’s Speed Gold – Sam Watson Silver – Noah Bratschi Men’s Boulder & Lead Gold – Jesse Grupper Silver – Sean Bailey Bronze – Zach Galla Women’s Boulder & Lead Gold – Natalia Grossman Silver – Brooke Raboutou
SANTIAGO, Chile (Oct. 23, 2023) – USA Climbing athlete Jesse Grupper (Upper Montclair, NJ) came from behind with a stunning performance on the lead wall to lead a USA medals sweep in men’s boulder and lead. Sean Bailey (Shoreline, WA) won silver with Zach Galla (Atlanta, GA) taking bronze. With his victory, Grupper claimed the coveted last USA spot in men’s boulder and lead for Paris 2024, joining teammate Colin Duffy (Broomfield, CO) who earned his ticket at World Championships in August. “It feels really unreal,” said Grupper. “This has been a dream since I was a kid watching the Olympics on my home TV. I just really, for so long, have seen this as a dream. So I’m so glad to be able to pull it out in this competition and make it happen.” “I’m happy for all the dudes,” said Head Coach Josh Larson. “Everyone climbed so good tonight! The boys climbed really well. I’m happy for them.” While Grupper had a strong personal performance in bouldering, he stood fourth, 15 points back, going into lead climbing. Canadian Sean McColl and Bailey held a slim lead of just a tenth of a point over Galla. “I knew that I was a bit behind from the bouldering round,” he said. “I knew that I had to fight really hard in the second round in order to do the best that I could. So I really focused on that overall.” Despite the 15-point deficit he had to overcome from bouldering, and the fact that his teammate Bailey had climbed into the lead, Grupper came into his final route with confidence. “His specialty is lead,” said Larson, who spoke with Grupper between rounds to remind him. “So he was able to lean into that to make up points. He really had to leave the boulders behind. He started to think about them a little too much. And then he eventually just flipped the switch and went into lead mode, warmed up for lead, read the lead route and wasn’t too critical about the boulders. And he was able to come out like Jesse always does and impressed the hell out of everybody on the lead route.” With a smile on his face, Grupper charged up the wall with a gritty performance. He attacked the route with a skillful and purposeful climb, all the while picking up valuable points that ultimately erased the 15-point deficit and left him with a near 20-point margin of victory. Grupper had the crowd solidly behind him as he crested over to the headwall at the top of the wall. “The crowd was incredible here,” he said. “I really felt the support and I felt like every move really counted up there. I really wanted to get to the top of that wall.” Sport climbing’s Pan Am Games debut will wrap up Tuesday night with the women’s boulder and lead final. Going into the round for USA Climbing will be Natalia Grossman (Boulder, CO), Brooke Raboutou (Boulder, CO) and Anastasia Sanders (Fort Worth, TX). Bouldering begins at 5:00 p.m. EDT followed by lead climbing at 7:00 p.m. EDT. It will be streamed live on the PANAM Sports Channel and mobile app. MEN’S BOULDER & LEAD RESULTS Oct. 23, 2023 1. Jesse Grupper (Upper Montclair, NJ) 161.5 (69.4, 92.1) 2. Sean Bailey (Shoreline, WA) 141.6 (84.5, 57.1) 3. Zach Galla (Atlanta, GA) 138.5 (84.4, 54.1) 4. Sean McColl, Canada 132.6 (84.5, 48.1) 5. Oscar Baudrand, Canada 87.4 (69.3, 18.1)
SANTIAGO, Chile (Oct. 22, 2023) – Sam Watson (Southlake, TX) sped to a stunning victory to take gold in speed climbing at the Pan American Games, winning a close finals battle with teammate Noah Batschi (Potomac, MD) Sunday night in Santiago. The 17-year-old climber set a strong pace at 5.37 seconds to also clinch a spot on Team USA at Paris 2024. It was a virtual repeat of the scenario from 24 hours earlier when Piper Kelly (Indianapolis, IN) defeated teammate Emma Hunt (Woodstock, GA). Kelly clinched a Paris 2024 spot with the win, while Hunt had claimed her ticket in August at World Championships. Watson had an emotional reunion with his family backstage following the medals ceremony, with tears of joy for the young Texan climbing star who came out of the Dallas Team Texas climbing program. “I feel great – I feel like this is the culmination of my entire process that I’ve been working on,” Watson said. “It’s been a huge, huge deal for the past three years now.” Speed climbing made its debut at Tokyo 2020, with a single event that combined bouldering, lead climbing and speed climbing all in one. When the Paris 2024 program was announced, speed was separated out allowing specialists like Watson an opportunity at a medal event. Friends and teammates meeting in a final heat is always emotional. Despite falling to Watson in the finale, Bratschi commended his teammate. “It was a good race – I was pushing my hardest,” he said. “I know Sam was trying his hardest, too, and so he just came down to who had the best race.” The difference came down to small things in a sport that has become, literally, one of the very fastest across all sports – faster than the 100 meter dash. “You know, all the pieces were in place,” said Bratschi. “Just a small mistake – and that’s just what happens in speed. You can be prepared and you can just make one tiny mistake and then you don’t win. But that being said, I tried my hardest. So I don’t regret that mistake. “I did my best.” Head Speed Manager Matt Madisson was beaming after seeing four medals and two new tickets to Paris 2024. But he was especially proud of Watson. “Sam has something inside of him, and it burns brightly,” said Madisson. “So he is on top of. I think he’s been on the top of everyone’s list, not least of all his parents. With the huge support that they give him, he can really attack his training as much as he possibly can. He can dedicate himself to the sport. And that’s what really matters. And the professionalism that we see from him is going to get him a long way in life, and not just in speed climbing.” Watson became the fourth USA Climbing athlete to qualify for Paris. Colin Duffy (Broomfield, CO) grabbed a spot from World Championships in boulder-lead, and now with Watson, Kelly and Hunt all qualifying in speed. USA Climbing is expected to contend for spots in both men’s and women’s boulder-lead on Monday and Tuesday. The final qualifying opportunity will be in the IOC’s Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest and Shanghai next spring. “I’m extraordinarily proud of all of my teammates, especially Noah,” Watson said. “I know he’s worked very, very hard and I would rather not race anyone else in the end. “He’s worked so hard and he has overcome a lot of obstacles.” Watson and Bratschi are among a group of speed climbers who have been training with Madisson at USA Climbing’s home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kelly, Hunt, Sophia Curcio and John Brosler are also among the group spending time training in Utah. While the women’s Olympic quota is now full for USA Climbing, Bratschi and Brosler will now set their sights on preparation for the Olympic Qualifying Series next spring. Brosler slipped in his ⅛-finals match, and was knocked out. “We’re going to be taking a very solid team to OQS,” said Madison. “We’re already putting their plans together. They will really show what’s possible. “We have a really good chance of getting another athlete in and filling our quota.” Action continues in the Pan American Games with the men’s boulder-lead final Monday evening at Parque Cerrillos. Only one Olympic spot remains for USA Climbing’s men, with any of the three entrants in the finals capable of grabbing it – Sean Bailey (Shoreline, WA), Zach Galla (Atlanta, GA) and Jesse Grupper (Atlanta, GA). Finals begin at 6:00 pm Santiago time (5:00 pm EDT). MEN’S SPEED CLIMBING Oct. 22, 2023 1. Sam Watson (Southlake, TX) 5.37 seconds 2. Noah Bratschi (Potomac, MD) 5.96 3. Carlos Granja, Ecuador 5,52 4. Ethan Flynn-Pitcher, Canada 5.59
Piper Kelly (left) won gold and secured a trip to Paris 2024 with teammate Emma Hunt. (Slobodan Miskovic) SANTIAGO, Chile (Oct. 21, 2023) – In a dramatic finish to what was a crazy evening of speed climbing, Indianapolis native Piper Kelly stormed to a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago, with it clinching an Olympic berth for Paris 2024. Right behind Kelly, winning silver, was teammate Emma Hunt (Woodstock, GA ), who had already sealed her spot two months ago at World Championships. It was the biggest victory of Kelly’s career, setting a personal best competition time of 7.52 seconds. It came in an emotional event where all three U.S. women had a shot at gold. In the first semifinal, Hunt went up against Ecuador’s Andrea Rojas and took the win to move on. The other semifinal heat was all Team USA, ensuring that either Kelly or teammate Sophia Curcio (Charlotte, NC ) a shot at the Paris qualifying slot. Kelly took the win to set up the matchup with Hunt for gold. With their two Olympic berths already sealed going into the final, Hunt had a false start ending her bid. Kelly, meanwhile, took her final run setting the personal best. “I had a really great training block leading up to Pan Am Games,” said Kelly. “I actually moved to Utah to train for this about six weeks ago. The training was going really, really well so I knew I could do it. But speed climbing has a very low margin of error – I knew it still was not going to be easy. I’m just really excited to have gotten it done and performed.” Hunt went out on a false start in the finals with the smallest possible mathematic margin, just one hundredth off the threshold. She and Kelly shared emotions after the event with the two knowing they had both clinched Olympic spots. “I’m so excited because I get to have someone on this adventure with me,” Hunt said. “It’s so cool that we filled the quota.” The one, two, four finish was emblematic of the progression the team has been making. “Coming into this we’d all gone through a lot of preparation with the athletes on and off the wall,” said USA Climbing Speed Team Manager Matthew Maddison. “So the expectations were high! We’re very proud of the team that we’ve put together over the last few years.” Maddison also recognized Curcio, who is just 17, for her showing. “Kudos to Sophia for doing so well and keeping her head high,” he added. “I know that she will continue to do well into the future.” Kelly also spoke to the bigger picture about the enthusiasm for the sport globally, its debut in the Pan American Games and growing interest in America. “It’s really exciting to see the direction that climbing is going, but also that the direction that Team USA is going. We are really putting in the work back at home to make sure we have the resources and the training that we need, so that when we get here, we can perform and do our best and show the benefits of all the hard work that we’ve done.” The USA has now clinched both women’s quota spots in speed climbing, while Colin Duffy (Broomfield, CO) secured his boulder-lead spot at the World Championships in August. Sunday’s program will open in the morning with women’s boulder and lead semifinals, capping off in the evening with the men’s speed finals.
Colin Duffy Takes Home the Silver Medal for Combined Finals and Qualifies for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris! USA National Team Member, Colin Duffy was able to claim the second place podium position during today’s Combined Finals event at the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships in Bern, SUI! Along with his silver medal, Colin has also earned a qualifying spot for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. This will be the second Olympic games that Colin has qualified for, the first being climbing’s Olympic debut in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Colin’s achievement makes him the first US athlete to qualify for the combined Boulder & Lead climbing event in the 2024 Olympics! About Colin Colin, a member of the USA Combined National Climbing Team, started climbing at age 3 before joining Team ABC in Boulder, Colorado at age 8, where he trained under former World Championship winner, Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou. At age 16, he became the youngest climber to qualify to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the second American male climber to do so, after winning the 2020 IFSC Pan American Championships in March 2020. Follow Colin on Instagram Watch Colin claim Sliver at the World Championship Combined Finals here on the IFSC YouTube Channel!
Emma Hunt Takes Home the Silver Medal for Speed and Qualifies for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris! USA National Team Member, Emma Hunt was able to claim the second place podium position during today’s Speed Finals event at the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships in Bern, SUI! Along with her silver medal, Emma has also earned a qualifying spot for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. Emma’s achievement makes her the first US climbing athlete to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. About Emma Emma, a member of the USA National Speed Climbing Team, has been climbing since the age of five. Hailing from Woodstock Georgia, Emma is currently pursuing a degree from Kennesaw State University in between training at her home gym, Stone Summit. Emma is highly accomplished on the international competition circuit, and currently holds the Women’s National Speed Record for the US, claimed at the IFSC World Cup Speed Event in Edinburgh in 2022. Follow Emma on Instagram Watch Emma Claim Sliver at the World Championship Speed Finals here on the IFSC YouTube Channel!
Tokyo | 5 August – The first Men’s Olympic Sport Climbing medals were awarded tonight in the Combined format of speed, bouldering and lead. Out of a field of eight finalists, Nathaniel Coleman (Salt Lake City) won silver and Colin Duffy (Broomfield, CO) finished in 7th. The gold medal went to Alberto Gines Lopez (Spain) and the bronze went to Jakob Schubert (Austria). Speed Based on Tuesday’s Qualifications, Duffy was seeded 3rd and Coleman 8th. Duffy had a false start in his first round and eventually finished 5th with a fastest run of 6.35. Coleman had several clean rounds setting two new PRs with times of 6.45 and 6.21. Their results earned Duffy 5th and Coleman 6th as the athletes moved on to bouldering. Bouldering The men each competed on three problems. Coleman secured two tops, one zone and finished 1st. Duffy climbed to one top and two zones and finished 4th. After speed and bouldering, Coleman was in 3rd and Colin 5th heading into lead. Lead Duffy climbed to 40 and finished 3rd. Coleman also climbed well, making it to 34+ and finishing 5th. Their rankings for each of the three disciplines were multiplied resulting in 30 points for Coleman and 60 points for Duffy. Athlete Quotes After Finals Coleman quotes: On his mindset and expectations, “Getting into finals, it didn’t feel for real for a long time. I put a lot of effort in resetting my mind and believe a good performance was possible. I never dared to acknowledge the dream that I could medal at the Olympics. Just making finals was like my Hail Mary goal.” On bouldering, “I could not believe how well bouldering went. It was — whew.” On the finale, “It was a fortune final in the fact that the audience got to see how much the route setting can affect the competition. The lead route was perfectly set. There was one man to top it, at the very, very last. That’s the pinnacle of excitement in lead climbing competition.” Duffy quotes: On the medalists, “They earned it. They climbed amazingly, and everyone in this field is world class and such strong athletes, so just to be in the finals is amazing.” On the false start in speed, “Probably a little bit of the nerves and just excitement, but time goes so slow when you’re in competition, it felt like a really slow start.” On the lead route, “I mean, really hard lead route. Probably the two best competition lead climbers of all time that beat me, and I put up a good fight and I’m happy with that. I think some of the clipping like at the top there, my right arm was like maybe a little more tired than it needed to be, but I’m pretty satisfied with that performance.” Reflections after the event, “It feels great. It did not go the way I wanted. But it leaves me hungry for more in the future. I mean, I’m only 17, so I have a lot of time. I’m upset, but I’m still happy. Like, as time goes on, I’ll be able to appreciate what today was.” And Paris 2024, “Yes. That’s definitely, Olympic wise, the next goal and hopefully I’ll do better the next time.” Results and Photos Full results can be found here. Article photo courtesy Daniel Gajda and more IFSC photos can be found here. Next Up Sport Climbing concludes Friday, 6 August with the Women’s Final. Brooke Raboutou (Boulder, CO) will represent Team USA in the final field of eight athletes. For athlete bios or more information about Olympic Sport Climbing, please click here. Media inquiries should be directed to kelly@usaclimbing.org.
Tokyo | 6 August – Olympic Sport Climbing came to a close tonight with medals awarded in the Women’s Final. Out of a final field of eight, Brooke Raboutou (Boulder, CO) finished in 5th. The medals went to Janja Garnbret (Slovenia) gold, Miho Nonaka (Japan) silver and Akiyo Noguchi (Japan) bronze. Speed Raboutou fell against Nonaka, lost to Garnbret with a 8.77, and beat Seo (Republic of Korea) with a 9.06. After three speed runs she was positioned in 7th heading into bouldering. Bouldering The women each faced three problems. Raboutou fought hard and was very close on several problems climbing to three zones and finishing 2nd. After speed and bouldering, she headed into lead in 5th place. Lead Raboutou was the third climber to attempt the wall and climbed to 20+. She finished 6th in lead. Her rankings for each of the three disciplines were multiplied resulting in 84 points. Results and Photos Team USA had a very strong week finishing with Nathaniel Coleman 2nd, Brooke Raboutou 5th, Colin Duffy 7th, and Kyra Condie 11th. Full Olympic Combined results can be found here. Article photo courtesy Jon Glassberg / Louder Than 11 and more IFSC photos can be found here. Next Up Sport Climbing is over but the Olympic Games are not. The US Olympic Climbing Team is planning to walk in the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday, 8 August. Please check your local viewing options here. For athlete bios or more information about Olympic Sport Climbing, please click here. Media inquiries should be directed to kelly@usaclimbing.org.
Tokyo | 3 August – Sport Climbing made its Olympic debut tonight starting with the Men’s Qualification. Nathaniel Coleman (Salt Lake City) and Colin Duffy (Broomfield, CO) competed in the Olympic Combined format of speed, bouldering and lead. Out of a field of 20 athletes, Duffy finished 3rd and Coleman finished 8th with both men securing positions in the top eight to advance to the Men’s Finals on Thursday, 5 August. Speed Each athlete had two runs with their fastest time being used to advance. Both Duffy and Coleman set new PRs on their first runs, going 6.23 and 6.51, respectively. Their fast times earned them 6th and 10th as the athletes moved on to bouldering. Bouldering The men each competed on four problems. Duffy climbed to two tops and finished 5th and Coleman secured one top, two zones and finished 11th. After speed and bouldering, Duffy was positioned in 5th and Coleman in 13th. Lead The Combined format ended with Lead. Duffy climbed to 42+ just shy top topping the route and finished 2nd. Coleman also excelled and climbed to 39 finishing 5th. Their rankings for each of the three disciplines were multiplied resulting in their top eight finishing positions and a place in finals. Athlete Quotes After Making Finals “It feels amazing. I’m still in shock,” said Duffy. “Yeah, Nathaniel and I made finals and I couldn’t be prouder of our team.” “After bouldering, I had lost all hope of that dream coming true,” said Coleman. “But I don’t know, somehow, that let me just climb freely on the lead route, and it felt great. A crazy format leads to crazy scores and I just kept moving up and I can’t believe it really happened.” Coleman added, “Colin is a freaking animal and crushed the whole day. It was insane. I was super happy for him the whole day through. I was happy that we at least had one of us in the finals. And now we have two.” Results and Photos Full results can be found here. Article photos courtesy of Jon Glassberg / Louder Than 11 and IFSC photos can be found here. Next Up Sport Climbing continues on Wednesday, 4 August with the Women’s Qualification. Kyra Condie (Salt Lake City) and Brooke Raboutou (Boulder, CO) will represent Team USA in an elite field of 20 athletes. For athlete bios or more information about Olympic Sport Climbing, please click here. Media inquiries should be directed to kelly@usaclimbing.org.
Tokyo | 4 August – Olympic Sport Climbing continued tonight with the Women’s Qualification. Kyra Condie (Salt Lake City) and Brooke Raboutou (Boulder, CO) competed in the Olympic Combined format of speed, bouldering and lead. Out of a field of 20 athletes, Raboutou and Condie climbed to 5th and 11th, respectively, with Raboutou making the top eight to advance to the Women’s Final on Friday, 6 August. Speed The qualification format was the same as the Men’s event on Tuesday night. Each athlete had two runs with their fastest time being used to advance. Condie and Raboutou finished with 8.08 and 8.67, respectively, with Raboutou setting a new competition PR. Their times earned them 7th and 12th as the athletes moved on to bouldering. Bouldering The women each faced four problems. Raboutou earned three tops and one zone and finished in 2nd. Condie climbed to one top and two zones to finish 11th. After speed and bouldering, Raboutou was ranked 3rd and Condie in 9th. Lead The Combined format ended with Lead. Raboutou climbed to 26+ finishing 8th and Condie climbed to 22+ ending in 11th. Their rankings for each of the three disciplines were multiplied resulting in their finishing positions of 5th and 11th. Athlete Quotes After Qualifications From Brooke Raboutou: On her performance, “I was very happy with my speed performance today. I was able to get two very clean runs, which is not always the case. The wall is really great and everyone is excited. Definitely a few nerves for me at the beginning as expected, but overall I am happy with my time. Bouldering I was very happy with and was able to be very present in the moment, which can be hard to do in such a big competition, and execute the climbs really well. I found them very physical, which I really enjoy. For lead, that’s usually my best discipline, and I’m happy with my climbing but wish I got to show a little bit more of how hard I’ve worked and what I’ve got left.” On being a part of Team USA, “This is team is pretty special. I’m so excited that our US team has been able to step it up this last year. I think we all feel each other’s energy and are thriving off of each other as a team, and that’s just making a big difference. We’re here to stay so we’re excited.” On the climbing community, “I think the community is one of the most special things about climbing. Everyone’s genuinely happy for each other, and wants each other succeed. Of course they want to do well themselves, but you see teams laughing, really good friends, going on trips together, and sharing information for everyone to do their best. Everyone knows each other and it’s a tight community.” From Kyra Condie: On her performance, “I was really happy with how speed went and was pretty happy with how bouldering went. Of course I’m kicking myself for not finishing that fourth boulder because it would have put me in a good spot. I was proud of my fight on this lead climb because there was a move that’s really, really difficult for me with my spinal fusion right in the middle. Before going out, I was definitely worried about it and then it felt even harder than I expected. That was really hard mentally on the wall to get through and threw me off, but I was really happy that I was able to do that move and keep going.” On the Olympic dream, “As soon as climbing got into the Olympics, it was a dream turned into a reality, or potential reality. And then realizing that, qualifying and now finally being here after a two year wait has been, honestly, a dream. This whole day I was climbing, but I could almost see myself in third person climbing – but in a good way. I felt really in a good spot and psyched, excited. Happy to represent my sport and try and show what it’s all about.” Results and Photos Full results can be found here. Article photos courtesy of Jon Glassberg / Louder Than 11 and IFSC photos can be found here. Next Up Sport Climbing continues on Thursday, 5 August with the Men’s Finals. Colin Duffy (Broomfield, CO) qualified 3rd and Nathaniel Coleman (Salt Lake City) qualified 8th and will represent Team USA in the elite Final field of eight. For athlete bios or more information about Olympic Sport Climbing, please click here. Media inquiries should be directed to kelly@usaclimbing.org.