Brooke Raboutou enjoys every second of OQS Budapest win
The U.S. climber swept the OQS women’s Boulder & Lead events, triumphing in Budapest to add to victory in Shanghai – doing so with a wide smile on her face the entire day in the Hungarian capital.
Sport Climbing
Brooke Raboutou could relax and enjoy herself on Sunday (23 June), even in the midst of a final competition.
After all, making it past the semi-final of the sport climbing women’s Boulder & Lead event at the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest had all but secured her an Olympic quota spot.*
Having won last month in Shanghai, she knew that being one of the eight finalists in the Hungarian capital would mathematically see her obtain the quota, pending official confirmation – something she achieved in Saturday's semis.
That meant the U.S. climber could approach Sunday’s final with an open mind and the ability to soak everything in – the Boulder problems, the Lead route, and the large, vocal, crowd at the Ludovika Campus in the Hungarian capital, who cheered every move the eight finalists made.
“Today was so much fun just getting to do what I love with no pressure and nothing on the line,” Raboutou told Olympics.com afterwards. “Just climbing with a bunch of strong girls, all already qualified, was really special.
"I feel like I had so many emotions yesterday and now I'm just on cloud nine. Pretty incredible, pretty blissful."
Her day had begun in perfect style, topping the first problem in Boulder on her first, effortless, attempt. She flashed a wide smile at the crowd as they celebrated her Top.
It was a smile that never disappeared all day, even when she missed a Top on her final Boulder problem, one which posed problems for over half the field with a high start.
Raboutou had got a hand on the Top hold before slipping as time ran out, but she still had a wave and a beam for the thousands of fans who had gathered on the open grass field at the climbing zone. Her 83.8-point score was behind only that of Japan’s Nonaka Miho – the only woman to achieve Top on all four problems – heading into the Lead round.
Raboutou thanks Budapest crowd
When Nonaka fell just shy of the 60-point hold on her ascent of the 15m-high wall, only Raboutou could overtake her in the competition.
With the crowd hanging on to every hold alongside her, the 23-year-old slowly and calculatedly made her way up the route, knowing exactly what she needed: to reach the highest part of the wall and get within six holds of the Top.
As she reached the 60-point hold, the crowd roared into life, cheering much louder than before. High up on the wall, Raboutou continued hold by hold, finally reaching the hold she required before falling.
That gave her a total of 159.8 points, putting her 3.8 points above Nonaka and gave her the win, completing an OQS double to add to her victory last month in Shanghai.
She clasped her hands to appreciate the crowd, a mix of diehard climbing fans and many Budapest locals new to the sport who will leave OQS with a newfound love for it.
“The crowd was amazing, very supportive,” she acknowledged. “Cool to have such a strong crowd in Budapest for this event.
“Honestly, I’m really proud that I enjoyed every round of both these (OQS) competitions,” Raboutou added, still sporting the wide grin she’d carried all day. “Which isn’t something I could have said a few months ago.
“Today was the cherry on the top.”
OQS Budapest 2024 results - Women's Boulder & Lead final
- Brooke Raboutou (USA) 159.8 – 83.8 Boulder, 76.0 Lead
- Nonaka Miho (JPN) 156.0 – 98.9 B, 57.1 L
- Erin McNeice (GBR) 137.5 – 69.4 B, 68.1 L
- Luo Zhilu (CHN) 122.5 – 68.5 B, 54.0 L
- Seo Chaehyun (KOR) 104.9 – 32.8 B, 72.1 L
- Laura Rogora (ITA) 90.5 – 14.5 B, 76.0 L
- Mia Krampl (SLO) 81.6 – 24.5 B, 57.1 L
- Ievgeniia Kazbekova (UKR) 75.5 – 39.5 B, 36.0 L
Women's Boulder & Lead sport climbers obtaining a quota to Paris 2024
After both rounds of OQS, the following climbers obtained a quota spot* for Paris: Raboutou, Seo, McNeice, Nonaka, Kazbekova, Luo, Krampl, Rogora, Lucia Dörffel (GER), Zélia Avezou (FRA), Camilla Moroni (ITA), Molly Thompson-Smith (GBR)
*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective teams at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at Paris 2024 depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation. Click here to view the qualification system for each sport.