By Shaikhah Al Tamimi (OCA Young Reporter from Kuwait)
Hangzhou, China, October 6, 2023: In the midst of unexpected rainfall, Japan’s Sorato Anraku climbed the wall to golden heights at the men's sport climbing boulder & lead final at the Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Sport Climbing Centre.
Rain fell shortly after the boulder session began and many climbers had slipped when they attacked the wall, while others brought towels with them to wipe their shoes amid their climbs.
Solving all four Boulder problems in miraculous speed and articulation, the 16-year-old rising star unsurprisingly obtained the gold with a total of 187.8 points (99.7 in boulder, 88.1 in lead).
Although he made it look like an easy climb despite the rainy weather, Anraku recalled his time during the competition, “We waited for a while because of the rain. We got a little bit cold and felt a bit uneasy.
"I took some risks in the lead session, but I also controlled my rhythm during the starting phase of the route."
Japan’s climbing phenom displays during his climb one of the key elements of an experienced climber which is a calm and collected demeanor as they attempt to solve the puzzle to the top.
In the lead part, no one could stop the teen sensation, who reached the highest 41+ holds and celebrated the gold with his remarkable puzzle and problem-solving skills in action.
As for Republic of Korea’s Lee Do-hyun, he was only fourth going into the lead round but ended up taking silver with a total of 118.7 points, while China’s home favorite Pan Yufei accumulated 59.6 in boulder and 28.0 in lead totaling 87.6 points that earned him a bronze.
Speaking on the rise of sport climbing in the Olympic arenas, the Secretary-General of the IFSC Asian Council, Rasip Insin, stressed: “Sports Climbing was previously a sport participated by the youth and we managed to go into the Olympics after 13 years of the formation of the International Federation of Sport Climbing.
“It was one of the fasting-growing sports that was able to knock on the doors of the International Olympic Committee and gain approval.”