Paris 2024 Sport Climbing Results: Janja Garnbret Wins Double Olympic Gold in Boulder and Lead
Janja Garnbret became a two-time Olympic champion after winning the Boulder and Lead finals at Paris 2024.
Three years after her triumph in the combined event at Tokyo 2020, the Slovenian sport climbing legend once again dominated the competition, achieving a score of 168.5.
The 25-year-old overcame an injury scare during the Boulder portion of the final. Despite concerns about her condition, she excelled in the Lead event, scoring 84.1 to finish ahead of the USA’s Brooke Raboutou (156.0) and Austria’s Jessica Pilz (147.4).
Garnbret held a narrow lead after the Boulder event on Saturday morning. Although she couldn’t complete the challenging final boulder and grimaced from an apparent finger injury, her score of 84.4 points was just 0.4 points ahead of Raboutou, giving them both a strong advantage over their competitors.
Unaware of their rivals’ scores during the competition, the climbers faced an exciting Lead final on Saturday afternoon. They emerged from the isolation zone one by one to tackle the 15-meter wall.
Team GB’s Erin McNeice moved into medal contention with a 68.1 in the Lead, giving her a total score of 127.6 points overall with four climbers still to compete. Next up was reigning Lead world champion Mori Ai of Japan, who had struggled in the Boulder with a 39.0 but then impressed with a remarkable 96.1 in the Lead for a total of 135.1.
Raboutou secured herself a medal with a score of 72.0, moving ahead of Mori. With only Pilz and Garnbret left to climb, Pilz ensured her place on the podium and burst into tears upon learning that her Lead score was enough for either silver or bronze.
Unaware of the exact score needed for gold, Garnbret focused on her climb. She steadily worked her way up the wall, edging closer to defending her title. Her successful climb earned her a win by 12.5 points overall, resulting in an emotional celebration with training partner Raboutou as they embraced after securing gold and silver.
Podium: Sport Climbing Women’s Boulder & Lead, Paris 2024
- Gold: Janja Garnbret (Slovenia)
- Silver: Brooke Raboutou (USA)
- Bronze: Jessica Pilz (Austria)
