Janja Garnbret, at 25 years old, is considered 🌜 the greatest competition climber of all time, with a level of ruthlessness comparable to that of Simone Biles. After successfully 🌜 managing the pressure to win gold in Tokyo, she was heavily favored to repeat the feat in Paris.
However, during the 🌜 final round of the bouldering section, Garnbret experienced a setback. While attempting to scale the last boulder, she caught her 🌜 finger between two holds, causing her pain. Angry and tearful, she left the stage. But she returned two hours later 🌜 for the lead event, where she outperformed Brooke Raboutou of the United States to secure her second Olympic gold.
Garnbret demonstrated 🌜 supreme mental strength, stating that she was scared she had fractured something but was determined to climb the lead route. 🌜 She stated, "I just kept telling myself: 'Just like in training, do it like in training, and everything will be 🌜 all right.' And I pulled it off."
Climbing has established itself as an excellent addition to the Games. 🌜 While the specifics of the scoring system can be complicated, the struggles of certain competitors provide context for how difficult 🌜 certain holds and routes are. The sight of exceptional climbers breaking new ground is tense and thrilling.
Ai Mori, a prodigious 🌜 20-year-old lead specialist from Japan, had struggled in the bouldering round but produced a scene-stealing effort on the lead wall, 🌜 placing one hand on the very top hold before falling. She received a loud standing ovation and finished in fourth 🌜 place.
The question is whether climbing will be allowed to showcase its full array of 🌜 competitions. In Tokyo, the sport had one event for men and women, and the consensus among climbers is that they 🌜 would like the sport to have separate medals for boulder, lead, combined, and speed climbing in Los Angeles 2028.
Regardless of the rules, the legend of Garnbret continues to grow. She boasts two Olympic golds in addition to her 🌜 eight world championship titles, two silver medals, and 45 golds at World Cup events. Her success is inspiring to other 🌜 climbers, and she will continue to maintain her edge as the target on her back only gets bigger.