Sport climbing’s boulder qualification kicked off in style at the Olympic Qualifier Series Shanghai on Thursday (16 May).
In terms of the conditions, the athletes could not have asked for more: Sunny blue skies, warm temperatures, and a gentle breeze to keep them cool.
A special atmosphere at the Huangpu Riverside OQS Urban Park saw hundreds of fans pack out the seats surrounding the bouldering wall half an hour before the action even began, enjoying techno beats pumping out of the arena loudspeakers.
Not short of energy or motivation, Lee Dohyun of the Republic of Korea put on an impressive display to go top of men’s qualification, while in the absence of Olympic champion Janja Garnbret who has already claimed an Olympic quota**, Ukraine’s** Levgeniia Kazbekova finished top in the women’s competition with some gravity-defying hangs.
Other athletes who shone include five-time world champion Adam Ondra, who finished the day in fifth position out of 46 athletes.
“I feel confident after this boulder round,” the Czech climber told Olympics.com. “My experience helps me to deal with this pressure situation.”
“It’s great preparation and I kind of see it as an advantage. If you are (already) qualified (for Paris 2024) you are kind of disadvantaged that you can’t have this preparation. All the other World Cups are just in the single disciplines and not in combined format.”
Spanish reigning men’s Olympic champion, Alberto Gines, who is best-known for lead prowess did an effective job on the bouldering wall to end the day in third, one behind Great Britain’s Hamish McArthur.
Mejdi Schalck of France, who secured silver at the 2023 Worlds also didn’t disappoint, finishing fourth.
In the women’s event, Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Nonaka Miho of Japan sits in third, while USA star and 2023 bronze world medallist Brooke Raboutou settled for eighth.
“I definitely had some nerves, day one. But I did enjoy it. We do this all the time but somehow every one (competition) is nerve-wracking and feels different, which is why I love it,” Raboutou said after.
“I felt pressure. But pressure is a privilege. So, I am excited to use that as an opportunity to learn from this format. Now, it’s just time to do what I love.”

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