Janja Garnbret is having a 12 months for the historical past books. The Slovenian climber began the 12 months off robust in April when she received gold at each the Boulder World Cup in Keqiao and the Lead World Cup in Wujiang. That very same month she grew to become the primary lady ever to climb the Fontainebleau “Large 5”—a sequence of tall, notoriously troublesome issues starting from V9 to V11—in a single day on her first-ever go to to the French bouldering space.
In Could, Garnbret made the primary feminine ascent of Bügeleisen Sit V15, becoming a member of the small group of girls who’ve climbed the V15 grade. She ended up climbing the stout Nalle Hukkataival downside twice that session after being sad with the ship footage of her first prime.
The next month, in June, Garnbret as soon as once more received gold at each the Boulder and Lead World Cups in Innsbruck, wanting unstoppable heading into the Paris Olympics. Heading into the Summer time Video games, she was the clear favorite to win gold, simply as she was on the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
In Paris, Garnbret appeared flawless within the semi-final, putting first in each Boulder and Lead rounds. Within the ultimate spherical of bouldering a pair days later, she topped the primary three issues with relative ease. On the fourth and ultimate downside, she appeared to have an injured finger. She ended the spherical in first place, with Group USA’s Brooke Raboutou following intently behind. Backstage, viewers may see Garnbret grimacing in discomfort as she examined her doubtlessly injured finger, with the Lead spherical simply moments away.
On the lead wall, Garnbret climbed with velocity and precision, placing on a efficiency that was inspiring, but unsurprising. She fell after the 84-point maintain, giving her greater than sufficient factors to take gold within the Boulder & Lead Mixed occasion. Raboutou earned silver and Austria’s Jessica Pilz bronze. Garnbret lowered from route, and the gang roared as she realized the Olympic gold was hers. She embraced Raboutou after which her coach Roman Krajnik, teary-eyed and overcome with emotion.
For those who wanted any extra proof for Garnbret’s GOAT standing, you bought it on the Paris Olympics. She fought by adversity to develop into climbing’s first-ever two-time Olympic champion. Her Paris medal joins her dozens of different golds from World Cup and World Championship Boulder, Lead, and Mixed competitions. I just lately sat down with Garnbret to be taught extra about her expertise on the Olympics. You possibly can learn our interview beneath, which has been edited for size and readability.
Phrases with Garnbret
How is your finger doing now, after the Olympics? The finger is okay. I climbed twice already, so it’s OK. Nothing hurts.
How did you harm your finger within the boulder finals? It was a bit unclear on the Olympic broadcast. It appeared prefer it was on downside 4 but it surely may need been earlier. Yeah, it was the fourth boulder downside, and it bought caught on the beginning maintain. The beginning maintain was blocked, and I don’t know the way, however my finger bought caught underneath it, and after I was about to leap, it didn’t come out. I may transfer my finger right away after I got here down from that attempt, so I knew that nothing was damaged but it surely was a bit bit swollen. I didn’t actually know what was fallacious with it. All I knew was that it was not damaged.
The Olympics are positively one competitors the place you don’t need to get harm. You need to be 100 per cent prepared. I used to be fairly scared that the comp can be over [for me], so I used to be crying quite a bit after [the round].
I went again to [isolation], my physio checked the finger, he stated nothing was damaged and that the ligaments appeared positive. Then I went on the [warm-up] wall and tried crimping one thing. I felt some pressure and ache, however when you find yourself competing, you’re so into it that you simply don’t even really feel something. After I was warming up [for the lead route], I felt one thing [again]. However I crimped actually exhausting and the ache form of went away. However actually, if one thing was damaged, I nonetheless would have [climbed the final route]. I simply needed to finish it.
You stated beforehand that you simply awoke the morning of the finals feeling just like the day was your day. After the bouldering spherical, how was your mindset heading out to aim the ultimate lead route? Actually, such as you stated, after I awoke I form of felt like at this time was my day. It’s a sense not in your head however in your complete physique that at this time is your day—that nothing can throw you off your sport. The bouldering spherical went tremendous properly, besides the half with my finger. I might have liked to prime the ultimate boulder but it surely was the way it was. I didn’t know any outcomes after. I used to be fully unaware that me and Brooke [Raboutou] have been 0.4 factors aside, and I didn’t actually care. I simply stated to myself, “You bought this. You skilled for this. You might be prepared for this second. Simply let your physique do your factor.”
As I warmed up [for the lead round], in my head I used to be saying, “You’re prepared for this second. You skilled so exhausting for this. I’m not letting it slip away.” So, I used to be actually assured truly. I wasn’t burdened in any respect. Earlier than I went out, I stated to myself, “Simply do it such as you do in coaching.” After which I began climbing. I began confidently. I used to be in my very own world.
After falling, how and when did you notice that you simply had received gold? What have been you feeling at that second? After I was climbing, after I bought to [the hold that earned me first place], I may hear the gang, however I didn’t know [what it meant]. While you’re climbing, you don’t know if that is the highpoint or simply the bronze medal, or a win. I didn’t know what was occurring, so I simply stored climbing. I fell and I wasn’t fully happy with my climbing as a result of I may have finished a bit higher.
I got here down and I couldn’t see the outcomes right away. I checked out Roman, and he was crying however I didn’t know if that was due to happiness or unhappiness. However then I checked the outcomes, and I noticed that I had received. I felt relieved but in addition tremendous glad as a result of all of the exhausting work paid off and I did what I needed to do. I used to be simply tremendous glad.
It appears such as you and Brooke Raboutou have develop into shut associates through the years. What was it like sharing the rostrum together with her in Paris? It was wonderful. This was form of our secret want, to share the rostrum on the Olympics. We already needed to do it in Tokyo, however we all know the way it turned out. So, we actually needed to get revenge and be on the rostrum collectively, and actually, I couldn’t have wished for a greater podium—with Brooke and Jessy [Pilz]. They each deserved it a lot. They labored so exhausting for it, exhibiting good outcomes yearly. They put years of labor into this second, so I used to be actually glad for them.
With Brooke particularly, we developed a tremendous relationship. She was coaching with me in February right here [in Slovenia]. We had a extremely good time. We discovered from one another. However other than that I really feel like we each climb for a similar causes—as a result of we love climbing a lot. We share the identical perspective on life and on coaching, so we clicked additionally outdoors of climbing. We share the identical mentality, which is why we immediately clicked.
Now that Paris is over and also you’ve had (a really quick) time to mirror, how did the general expertise evaluate to your expertise in Tokyo? It was a unique expertise, however on the similar time, a really related one. Tokyo was exhausting as a result of it was the primary time climbing was within the Olympics, I used to be after all competing for the primary time within the Olympics, I got here there as a favorite, and it was very, very worrying. I’d say three months earlier than Tokyo I used to be already burdened, and on daily basis felt like a burden. It was tremendous exhausting. All of the years of labor, it comes down to at least one second and you need to present what you skilled for.
In Tokyo, I used to be experiencing totally different feelings than in World Cups or World Championships. I had a worry of disappointing individuals—the closest individuals to me—Roman, my physio, and everybody who labored for me all these years. The Olympics are each 4 years and as an athlete you need to give your greatest there and also you don’t need to miss the prospect. So, it’s actually a high-pressure state of affairs and it was actually actually, actually exhausting.
Popping out of Tokyo, I already had one Olympic expertise so I knew what can be occurring in my head for Paris—earlier than I bought there, after I arrived, after I competed, and after the competitors. So Paris felt—how do I clarify it—like I belonged there. I used to be tremendous relaxed. I form of thought, what’s going on—why am I not stressing out? I requested myself what the rationale was. One cause was that I already had one gold medal from Tokyo. Additionally, in these three years from Tokyo, I discovered a lot about myself. About coaching [for example]—I had an damage final 12 months, so I needed to come again and put together for qualifiers after which compete in Paris. I additionally form of knew how I might be feeling about disappointing individuals.
Evaluating the Olympic Villages, in Tokyo, it was tremendous worrying for me as a result of we have been beginning on the finish of the Olympics and [the athletes] have been all already celebrating their medals, and I hadn’t even began competitors. This put additional strain on me. Now, with Paris, I used to be not staying within the Olympic Village. I made a decision to remain in a resort simply outdoors. It simply felt like one other World Cup as a result of there was no celebration, no stress, so every part was totally different, however related on the similar time.
What are your hopes for the Olympic format for climbing sooner or later? Would you wish to see Lead and Boulder separated into distinct disciplines, every with their very own medal? Would you just like the Boulder & Lead Mixed format to proceed? In fact I would love separate disciplines. Pace, lead, and bouldering separate after which I might additionally add mixed—however the outdated mixed format from Tokyo.
Oh actually!? Yeah, I imply, why not? Who’s the very best total in lead, boulder and velocity? That will be attention-grabbing. Actually, I’ve had enjoyable with all types of codecs. Earlier than, for Tokyo, I can’t say that I didn’t like coaching velocity. After I began it, I may see the strikes getting smoother, my time taking place, and it’s a unique sport, so I loved coaching it. However after all, for Paris, I may practice what I’ve been coaching my complete life, so it was nice. However I might like to see everyone present how good they’re of their major self-discipline after which additionally in mixed—it could be enjoyable.
Congrats in your (double) ship of Bügeleisen Sit V15 earlier this 12 months! Do you’ve got any short- or long-term targets for outside mountain climbing? In fact, there are loads! I’ve been so targeted on competitions and on coaching that I didn’t actually have time for mountain climbing. You can not actually mix these two, so you need to determine what’s your precedence. However yeah, I do have some initiatives in thoughts—in Spain, in France. I truly now need to determine on one and simply go for it.
Bügeleisen firstly of the 12 months—that was my dream boulder. I actually, actually needed to do it for thus lengthy and I assume this 12 months I used to be robust sufficient to do it. However yeah, I’ve some initiatives in thoughts.… I need to make investments extra time in mountain climbing, and now I really feel that it’s doable. I’ve another targets … [that] I’ve been desirous about for fairly a while.
Garnbret’s Medals (not together with World Cups)
Olympic Video games
Gold medal at 2020 Tokyo in Mixed
Gold medal at 2024 Paris in Mixed
World Championships
Gold medal at 2016 Paris in Lead
Gold medal at 2018 Innsbruck in Bouldering
Gold medal at 2018 Innsbruck in Mixed
Gold medal at 2019 Hachiōji in Lead
Gold medal a 2019 Hachiōji in Bouldering
Gold medal at 2019 Hachiōji in Mixed
Gold medal at 2023 Bern in Bouldering
Gold medal at 2023 Bern in Mixed
Silver medal at 2018 Innsbruck in Lead
Silver medal at 2023 Bern in Lead
World Video games
Silver medal at 2017 Wrocław in Lead
European Championships
Gold medal at 2017 Munich in Mixed
Gold medal at 2022 Munich in Lead
Gold medal at 2022 Munich in Bouldering
Gold medal at 2022 Munich in Mixed
Silver medal at 2015 Chamonix in Lead
Silver medal at 2017 Munich in Bouldering
This story initially appeared within the October/November 2024 difficulty of Gripped: The Climbing Journal
