Five sport climbers to watch at the 2023 European Boulder & Lead Climbing Olympic Qualifier in Laval
Europe’s best will be out in force from 26 to 29 October as they battle for Paris 2024 berths in Laval, France. Discover five of the biggest names at the European qualifier, which is live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com.
Sport Climbing
With Paris 2024 under a year away, Europe’s greatest sport climbers meet in Laval, France for the official Boulder & Lead European qualifier that offers two coveted quotas for the next Olympic Games.
With so much riding on the competition, it’s no surprise that the continent’s best and brightest will be out in force as they take aim at qualifying for sport climbing’s second appearance at the Olympics.
Next year’s Olympic climbing competition differs greatly from its debut, with speed offering its own set of medals and the combined boulder & lead competition offering another. And it is the latter of these that this upcoming Olympic qualifier will distribute quotas for, with one each attributed to the winners of the women’s and men’s competitions.
As NOCs have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Keep reading to discover five of the best sport climbers who will compete in the European Olympic qualifier in Laval.
Five to watch at the 2023 European Boulder & Lead Climbing Olympic Qualifier in Laval
Oriane Bertone (France)
Fresh from winning silver in boulder at the 2023 World Championships, Oriane Bertone will be hoping to take her excellent form into the combined event in Laval.
Having been brought up on the small island of Reunion, Bertone moved to France’s capital to hone her craft and now has her sights firmly set on the next Olympic Games in Paris.
“I'm excited to see how it's going to be at the Olympics, who's going to be there, and if I'm going to be there,” she told Olympics.com. “I would love to go. It's in Paris, and it's where I live. The Olympic Games in France and Paris is going to be amazing.”
At 18 years old, Bertone may well be seen as the future of French climbing however her achievements to date mean she is also being considered a serious threat at next year’s Games.
Bronze in the 2022 European Championships was followed by silver in the 2023 Worlds. Could gold at the 2024 Games in Paris be on the cards?
Adam Ondra (Czechia)
After a career in which he has won five World Championships gold medals and been lauded as the most gifted climber of his generation, Adam Ondra is - as always - one of the biggest names on the entry list for the upcoming Olympic qualifier in Laval.
At Tokyo 2020, Ondra may not have reached the lofty heights he has set for himself as he finished sixth in the men’s combined competition.
But that hasn’t sullied his enthusiasm for Paris 2024.
"[Tokyo gave] some motivation for the next Olympics, which is something that I wasn't certainly sure about [previously],” he said after the Games. “But I think one participation at the Olympics was not enough for me. I'll be happy to come back to Paris again."
Currently ranked 10th in the world rankings, Ondra will need to be at his very best to secure victory in Laval and with it a coveted quota for the next Olympic Games.
Stasa Gejo (Serbia)
Having recently graduated with a Master of Science in Power Engineering, the multi-talented Stasa Gejo returns to competition in this weekend’s European Olympic qualifier.
The 25-year-old has an excellent record at continental and global level, winning bronze in boulder at the 2018 and 2021 World Championships, in addition to gold, silver and two bronzes at the European Championships (gold in 2017 and bronze in 2020 in bouldering and silver in 2020 and bronze in 2017 in combined).
While the current rankings see Gejo in 21st position overall, her ability to rise to the biggest occasions will ensure she is installed as one of the favourites for victory in Laval.
Toby Roberts (Great Britain)
Having been taught by his father who has no background in the sport, Toby Roberts’ rise to the top of the climbing world has been nothing short of sensational.
At just 18 years old, the Brit sits second in the combined boulder & lead world rankings having won multiple medals in the IFSC World Cup during his fledgling career.
Obtaining a quota for Paris 2024 would be the culmination of a long-term plan to put the young athlete in an excellent position to stake a claim for a first medal for Great Britain in the sport climbing discipline.
“To qualify for the Olympics would just be everything,” he told Olympics.com. “All of the years of training, everything I put into climbing, that is the pinnacle. That's what I've been working towards since I was a kid, basically since I was 10 years old."
Alberto Gines (Spain)
There’s only ever been one men’s Olympic sport climbing champion in history and his name is Alberto Gines.
The 21-year-old won a thrilling competition at Tokyo 2020, back when it required athletes to compete in boulder, lead and speed.
However, victory in Japan and the status that came with it was not easy for the then-18-year-old to deal with.
“After being Olympic champion, in my first World Cup, I felt like my Olympic medal was adding 50kg extra in my back,” the Spaniard told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview.
Two years on and Gines sits 17th in the combined boulder & lead world ranking, although he did register a bronze medal in the lead competition at the Koper World Cup round in September 2023.
Can he regain the form that saw him surprise the world with gold in Tokyo? The European qualifier in Laval will be an excellent test of his current level of performance.