Nonaka Miho strikes critical blow in Japanese race for women’s Boulder & Lead quota spot at OQS Budapest
With just one Japanese woman able to obtain a Paris 2024 quota spot in Budapest, the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist all but assured herself of the position with a strong semi-final showing as teammate Ito Futaba missed out.
Sport Climbing
Coming into the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, both Nonaka Miho and Ito Futaba knew one thing: they would have to out-perform each other to be in with a shot of obtaining a Paris 2024 quota spot in Boulder & Lead sport climbing.
With Japanese compatriot Mori Ai already having secured hers and each National Olympic Committee limited to a maximum of two athletes per event, there was considerable intrigue as to how the competition-within-a-competition would shake out at the Ludovika Campus in Budapest.
“It's no fun to always compete with someone who is so close to you. I just hope we can do our best on this stage and then we will both be happy,” Nonaka had said on Thursday.
By Saturday (22 June), with the semi-finals complete and the finalists set, one was certainly happier than the other. Nonaka had performed creditably on a very difficult route, making it to the 60-point hold before falling.
There was no visible reaction from the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, who by the time she competed knew exactly what she needed to beat Ito’s result.
That she did, and she reflected later on the mini-competition with Ito: “The battle that was always in the back of my mind has ended this time, so from now on, I want to fully concentrate on tackling the climbing problems ahead of me.
“I felt that many people I didn't know had high expectations of me. Naturally, I have a strong desire to meet those expectations, so I felt even more that I had to perform well. I had many worries, but I think it was good that I was able to achieve solid results this time.”
Ito had had a vocal cheering contingent of Japanese fans standing in the first row behind the fenced-off team officials’ area who made themselves heard, but fell about halfway up the wall much to their chagrin.
Added to a weak score from the Bouldering round, which had been delayed for two hours due to rain earlier in the day, Ito’s total of 83.4 certainly did not leave her happy.
She missed out on the final while Nonaka did, sealing her fate and consigning her to a finish behind her teammate in the overall OQS standings.
“I am so disappointed. Today’s Boulder round I was so bad,” Ito said. “I changed my mental (state) before Lead and Lead was good but not enough.”
But the two are still close friends, and a tight competition won’t change that.
“I will 100 per cent cheer for her to get a medal in Paris,” Ito added.
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.
You can watch the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in Budapest from 20 to 23 May live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices.
OQS Budapest 2024 results - Women's Boulder & Lead semi-finals - Finalists
Lead score in parenthesis
- Brooke Raboutou (USA) 172.1 (88.1)
- Seo Chaehyun (KOR) 133.2 (84.1)
- Nonaka Miho (JPN) 129.6 (60.1)
- Luo Zhilu (CHN) 122.8 (39.0)
- Erin McNeice (GBR) 115.8 (51.1)
- Laura Rogora (ITA) 101.0 (57.0)
- Mia Krampl (SLO) 92.0 (57.1)
- Ievgeniia Kazbekova (UKR) 91.7 (42.1)