Spain's Alberto Gines Lopez finds peak performance as Men’s Boulder & Lead sport climbing heats up

BUDAPEST – Staying cool under the pressure of the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) is tough enough, but the high temperatures in Budapest meant keeping a grip on the wall was challenging for the men’s boulder and lead climbers on Thursday.

“It is freaking hot, it’s different even from Spain,” said the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games sport climbing gold medallist Alberto Gines Lopez, who is in third place on 64.5 points after the boulder section, with his speciality in lead taking place on Friday.

“In the transition we are in a tent and it was like an oven. Everyone has ice packs but it is hard to manage.”

France’s Sam Avezou, who placed 8th on the day with 59.4 points, agreed. “It’s one of the hottest places I’ve ever climbed,” he said. “It is affecting how we perform a lot. There is a lot more sweat on your fingers. It is very tiring for bouldering.”

Great Britain’s Hamish McArthur, in 7th with 59.5 points, said: “Without ice, I am dead. I was putting ice everywhere. By boulder four, the holds get hotter and hotter and sweatier and sweatier. It might be like this in Paris, so it is great practice for that.”

The conditions, twinned with a difficult course, made for fascinating competition. Gines Lopez was the only athlete to score 25 points in the fiendish round four but was let down by a poor round one, where the majority of his rivals scored well.

The Olympic champion was content, however. “I would say I am in my best shape ever,” he said. “I got older, I focused more on boulder, which I didn’t train as much for before Tokyo (when athletes also competed in speed). Changing more to boulder, I wasn’t used to it so it was tough in 2022, 2023. But now I feel like I am getting better.”

Belgium’s Hannes van Duysen leads the standings after day one, with 70 points, edging out Czechia's Adam Ondra, who was second with 69.9 points.

“The last couple of weeks were not so easy, I was dealing with some issues, but today I am feeling surprisingly well,” Ondra said. “I am feeling very strong. This is a very nice venue. I think it’s the first time I’ve competed in a park, and it is making this unbearable heat a bit more bearable.

“I had good rounds, so I climbed rather quickly, and that helps save your skin and stops you getting overheated. I think I was pretty lucky. Conserving energy is crucial because this is a marathon.”

Republic of Korea's Lee Dohyun, who was first at OQS Shanghai, finished the day 6th to keep his Paris 2024 hopes alive. “It was hard for me because I injured my shoulder 10 days ago,” he said. “I’m not as good as in Shanghai, but I will do my best. I need my shoulder to recover and I think I will be OK tomorrow.”

France’s Mejdi Schalck and Paul Jenft, meanwhile, struck the first blow in the battle between three French climbers to secure two spots for their Olympic Games on home soil. They finished joint fourth, with 59.8 points, just 0.4 points ahead of Avezou.

“I am feeling pretty good and really happy with my round,” Schalck said. “I could have done better on the last round, it is not my style, but let’s focus on tomorrow now. I gave my best, I was a bit emotional but now I focus on lead.”

OIS nm/xl/wc/rm