Paris-bound climber Brooke Raboutou describes seeing the sport’s rapid growth

American sport climber Brooke Raboutou is reaching new heights after qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“It’s been crazy to see the sport evolve,” Raboutou, the first woman to represent the U.S. in sport climbing when she competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games, said in an interview Wednesday. “I was one of the first Olympic athletes in 2020. There were only 20 of us.

“Since then, we’ve seen a lot of growth in the sport, more participation, more gyms popping up, more funding for athletes, and it’s really cool to see that growth and to see our sport being loved by so many,” she added.

Sport climbing made his first Olympic appearance at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although it was not widely publicized, it became an instant hit with the public, leading to its official debut at the Tokyo Games.

Sport climbing occurs in three formats at the Olympics: bouldering, speed and lead. In bouldering, athletes climb high walls without ropes, in a limited amount of time and with the fewest number of attempts.

Speed ​​is a race against the clock in which top athletes can scale 15-meter walls in just a few seconds. In the lead format, athletes climb as high as they can on complicated routes, of which they have no prior knowledge, requiring physical and mental discipline.

During the Paris Games, two competitions will crown their champions. One will be a combined lead and bouldering competition, while the second will only feature the speed test.

Now, with the Olympics just a month away, Raboutou, who competes in the combined bouldering and lead categories, is focused on upholding her family’s legacy. Her parents are former world champion climbers.

“I think it means a lot; my family is so excited for me,” she said. “And for me it means a lot because they were pioneers in the sport. So to be able to represent them on such a big stage that they weren’t able to be a part of – and probably would have been if climbing had been in the Olympics back then – is really special.”