4 months ago
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TOBY ROBERTS scaled brand-new heights to clinch Team GB’s first-ever sport climbing Olympic medal.
The stunned Surrey teen then joked: “I’m going to get very, very drunk!”
Alamy
AlamyRoberts, 19, produced a scintillating performance in the boulder and lead final to put himself into provisional top spot.
But Sorato Anraku looked ready to rip gold away before a crucial slip from Japan’s 17-year-old just THREE holds from victory.
Roberts was visibly shocked and the 6,000 fans audibly gasped at Anraku’s dramatic mishap.
He needed to double check he had won before Roberts stood open-mouthed, his status as Olympic gold medallist confirmed.
The Brit, nicknamed The Terminator, said: “Well, I imagine I won’t be sleeping. I’m going to party.
“I’m in shock. I was happy with silver then to find out I’d got gold was a truly incredible moment.
“I’ve been working towards this for ten years. My dad and I created a plan to get to the stage.
“I’ve always liked to climb stuff. I climbed out my little cot when I was a little baby then obviously climbed trees so I’ve always just had a natural urge to climb.”
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Roberts picked up 63.1 points from his four bouldering climbs on the 4.5m wall in the first half of the final, placing him in third, one spot above fellow Brit Hamish McArthur but behind favourite Anraku and American Colin Duffy.
Roberts, though, prefers the lead discipline where climbers get six minutes to navigate their way up a 15m overhanging wall with a safety rope.
The observation time enabled the climbers to discuss the challenge and use binoculars to inspect holds and envision their routes.
McArthur went first and did a full 360-degree turn hanging 10m up, scoring 72 points before taking his seat and shouting encouragement to his fellow competitors.
Jakob Schubert’s epic lead climb earned 96 out of the maximum 100 points, pushing McArthur down to bronze with four climbers left.
Then when Roberts, whose dad Tristian built a climbing wall in their garden during Covid, clipped in to begin his climb, he knew he was six minutes from guaranteeing himself a medal.
The two-time defending lead world champion dangled, swung and clambered his way to within two holds of the top like a monkey in the trees, hanging from one arm at one point.
His 92.1 score gave him a total of 155.2, ironically knocking McArthur out of the medals, to secure himself at least silver before last-man Anraku took to the wall.
Anraku looked destined to snatch gold, checking off the white, yellow and black holds to reach the top blue section.
But needing just 9.9 more points for gold, it is four points per hold grabbed, Anraku suddenly lost his grip and fell, tumbling down to score 76.1 on the lead and 145.4 overall as Roberts’ glory was sealed.
The YouTuber and F1 fan, the youngest Brit to climb one of the UK’s hardest routes at Malham Cove aged ten, added: “I listen to pumpy music on my MP3 player in the isolation zone. Eminem’s Lose Yourself is my go-to song. It really gets me psyched.
“But it’s also important to calm myself down before my lead routes so I’m not feeling shaky on the wall. When I pulled on, I relaxed and put in a good performance in.
“Going into the Olympics, I tried to remove all expectations and then to realise that I’d won the gold, it’s just a rush of adrenaline, emotion and happiness.”
McArthur finished fifth on his Olympics debut and said: “Right up until Paris, I thought about backing out and not coming. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be part of this. But I’ve had the time of my life being here.
“Toby’s an incredible athlete. Honestly, he is more driven than me to win.
“This is the most important thing in the world for him. He’s come out with that expectation and performed.”
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