For many, their journeys into the sport largely started because of a natural instinct rather than the buzz of competition. Great Britain’s Hamish McArthur, for example, could not stop clambering up trees or hanging off door frames as a child. Toby Roberts was not too dissimilar. He would attempt to escape his cot as a baby, before he topped his first wall at three years old, well before the point he knew what he was doing was a sport at all. Unencumbered by any sense of fear, he wanted to climb as high as he could, because that was the only direction he thought to go.
By the age of 12, Roberts and his father Tristan had already formed a plan. When sport climbing was introduced to the Olympics in 2016, Roberts and his father set their sights on winning gold in Paris. Eight years later, he stood as Britain’s first Olympic champion in sport climbing: mastering the combination of lead and boulder after displaying supreme skills across problem-solving, strength, agility and endurance. It was the fruition of a childhood dream and a long-term goal.
“It’s been a journey,” he said. “A lot of competitions, a lot of ups and downs. But to finally be on the stage, competing in front of this crowd and to win the gold medal was just like a dream come true.” After an excellent performance across the four problem sets on the shorter, 4.5-metre bouldering wall left him in third place, Roberts reached the upper section on the longer lead climb to strike gold for Team GB. He set an imposing combined total that Japan’s 17-year-old contender Sorato Anraku could not surpass.
This story is from the August 10, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 10, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'Fight days are for fighting, not chatting to each other'
This Saturday, Joshua Buatsi will share a card with his friend Anthony Joshua for the fourth time, boxing Willy Hutchinson for an interim title at Wembley. Alex Pattle gets the lowdown
F1 title opening could prove to be Norris's only chance
Under the afternoon sun on Saturday in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, it felt like the moment the drivers’ title slipped away from Lando Norris.
The Man City hearing must answer these two questions
Amid all of the uncertainty around the Manchester City investigation, there is one view that can be stated with confidence as it finally gets under way.
Super clubs have nothing to fear from Uefa's shake-up
As a new Champions League format makes its debut today, Miguel Delaney looks at what it means for the competition
Final messages from Titan before implosion revealed
“All good here.”
New Zealand's bird of the year picked up by a penguin
A rare, smelly and yellow-eyed penguin species has been crowned New Zealand’s bird of the year for the second time in less than a decade.
Death toll rises as floods devastate central Europe
The death toll across central Europe from the worst flooding in decades has risen to at least 16 after Storm Boris brought a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours.
Germany reimposes border controls to tackle migration
Germany has reintroduced checks on all nine of its land borders in a move that has angered a number of its neighbours – but brought praise from the far right.
Putin boosts troop numbers as missiles pummel Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin yesterday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to increase by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million soldiers, the third time he has expanded its ranks since sending the military into Ukraine in February 2022.
'I figured he must be either dead or in prison by now...'
Those who know Ryan Routh talk of his previous 'escapades'