Yesterday, as the ultimate Olympic Qualifier Collection (OQS) got here to an in depth, Staff USA member Brooke Raboutou stood atop the ladies’s Boulder & Lead podium. She had a standout efficiency throughout the 2 OQS occasions in Shanghai and Budapest. In Shanghai final month, she positioned first in Boulder and fourth in Lead, incomes her a primary place end general. In Budapest, she had a fair betting displaying, putting second in Boulder and first in Lead, incomes her the gold and the title of Olympic Qualifier Collection champion. She earned an ideal 50 factors in each Shanghai and Budapest, simply securing her spot within the Paris Olympics subsequent month.
Paris shall be Raboutou’s second Olympics look. She competed within the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the place she positioned fifth general. Raboutou joins teammates Natalia Grossman, Colin Duffy, and Jesse Grupper in representing the US on the 2024 Olympic Summer time Video games.
“It’s onerous to imagine, I’m extremely completely happy,” mentioned Raboutou after the OQS finals. “It’s been a tough journey. I missed some probabilities to qualify. So it was panic no, stress sure. It’s been numerous heartbreak and numerous development. Truthfully, I’m grateful for all of it. They are saying the more durable the journey the higher it feels, and I couldn’t really feel that extra. I’m extremely proud about how a lot every stage taught me. I’ve had actually good performances.”
Eight climbers confronted off within the ladies’s Boulder & Lead ultimate in Budapest. The Olympic ticket stress was off for all eight ladies as they’d all secured an Olympic Qualifying spot primarily based on their semi-finals efficiency. The finals due to this fact served as an opportunity to realize expertise and confidence for the climbers. They needed to be cautious to not get injured although, because the Olympics start in rather less than a month.
The Boulder spherical got here first, and it was a enjoyable one, with a collection of inauspicious issues. Raboutou simply topped the primary three issues of the night. She reached the excessive zone on the fourth drawback, however was unable to safe a prime. Miho Nonaka of Japan topped all 4 issues, besting Raboutou within the spherical. Nonaka’s efficiency was tenacious, typically topping drawback with lower than 20 seconds left in her time restrict. Ievgeniia Kazbekova of Ukraine appeared to undergo a left knee damage early within the spherical from a nasty heel hook. She returned to the stage taped up, nevertheless it was evident the knee was affecting her efficiency.
Shifting into the Lead spherical, Nonanka had a near-perfect 98.9 factors and Raboutou had 83.8. Nice Britain’s Erin McNeice held the third spot with 69.4 factors after two tops and 4 excessive zones. Early within the Lead spherical, Italy’s Laura Rogora secured a formidable highpoint on the wall of 76 factors. Nonaka put in a stable efficiency, incomes 57.1 factors, which moved her into first place general. Raboutou got here out final and matched Rogora’s highpoint. This end gave her sufficient factors for the victory, overtaking Nonaka’s general standing by 3.8 factors. It was an in depth end – if Raboutou had fallen one maintain decrease, Nonaka would have positioned first.
“We’re actually good mates,” mentioned Raboutou about competing alongside Nonaka. “I don’t know if rivalry is the appropriate phrase, however we’re opponents. So it’s enjoyable to need one of the best for one another, but additionally to indicate our greatest, that’s what we would like. We will struggle for it and push one another on. I’m so excited she goes again to the Olympics once more, there are such a lot of Olympians there that I’m proud to share the stage with.”
With the 2 rounds over, Raboutou earned gold with 159.8 factors, Nonaka earned silver with 156 factors, and McNeice bronze with 137.5 factors. You may view the detailed Boulder, Lead, and general outcomes beneath. Understand that all eight finalists earned their Olympic ticket on the OQS. 4 different ladies who didn’t make the finals additionally earned their Paris qualifying spot: Lucia Dorffel of Germany, Zelia Avezou of France, Camilla Moroni of Italy, and Molly Thompson-Smith of Nice Britain.
Boulder Outcomes
- Miho Nonaka [JPN] (T4 HZ4 LZ4 15 9 4)
- Brooke Raboutou [USA] (T3 HZ4 LZ4 6 16 6)
- Erin McNeice [GBR] (T2 HZ4 LZ4 6 8 5)
- Zhilu Luo [CHN] (T2 HZ4 LZ4 10 19 9)
- Ievgeniia Kazbekova [UKR] (T1 HZ1 LZ4 5 5 5)
- Chaehyun Web optimization [KOR] (T0 HZ3 LZ4 0 25 11)
- Mia Krampl [SLO] (T0 HZ2 LZ3 0 7 6)
- Laura Rogora [ITA] (T0 HZ0 LZ3 0 0 8)
Lead Outcomes
1 – Brooke Raboutou [USA] 41
1 – Laura Rogora [ITA] 41
3 – Chaehyun Web optimization [KOR] 40+
4 – Erin McNeice [GBR] 39+
5 – Miho Nonaka [JPN] 36+
5 – Mia Krampl [SLO] 36+
7 – Zhilu Luo [CHN] 35
8- Ievgeniia Kazbekova [UKR] 29
Ultimate Outcomes
- Brooke Raboutou [USA] 159.8
- Miho Nonaka [JPN] 156.0
- Erin McNeice [GBR] 137.5
- Zhilu Luo [CHN] 122.5
- Chaehyun Web optimization [KOR] 104.9
- Laura Rogora [ITA] 90.5
- Mia Krampl [SLO] 81.6
- Ievgeniia Kazbekova [UKR] 75.5
OQS Olympic Certified Athletes
- Brooke RABOUTOU (USA)
- search engine marketing Chaehyun (KOR)
- Erin MCNEICE (GBR)
- NONAKA Miho (JPN)
- Ievgeniia KAZBEKOVA (UKR)
- LUO Zhilu (CHN)
- Mia KRAMPL (SLO)
- Laura ROGORA (ITA)
- Lucia DORFFEL (GER)
- Zelia AVEZOU (FRA)
- Camilla MORONI (ITA)
- Molly THOMPSON-SMITH (GBR)
To be taught extra in regards to the Olympic Qualifier Collection – the format, the opponents, and the factors system – learn our in-depth explainer right here. You may watch the Budapest OQS Ladies’s Boulder Ultimate right here and the Ladies’s Lead Ultimate right here.