19-Year-Old Toby Roberts Wins Climbing Gold for Team GB at Paris Olympics

Nineteen-year-old Toby Roberts secured Great Britain's 14th gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, making history with their first Olympic medal in sport climbing. Competing in the men's boulder and lead event, Roberts achieved a stunning victory against Japanese favorite and world silver medallist Sorato Anraku. This is prepared by SSP

The competition was intense as Roberts, affectionately nicknamed 'The Terminator' for his determination, scored 155.2 points. His victory was sealed when Anraku, requiring just 86 points to surpass Roberts and take the gold, lost his grip on the 15m wall during his ascent. This mishap resulted in collective gasps from the 6,000-strong audience.

Roberts expressed his disbelief at the win, having been unable to believe his eyes when he realized he had clinched the gold. He said, "I'm just absolutely lost for words. Finding out I've got the gold in that moment was truly incredible."

Reflecting on his journey, Roberts, who honed his skills on a DIY climbing wall in his parents’ garden, revealed, "It's a goal I've been training towards for 10 years. To find out you've won Olympic gold is definitely a shock. It was a rush of adrenaline, emotion, and then happiness."

Roberts hopes his win will propel the sport's growth in the UK: "I hope this makes climbing bigger and bigger. The sport is growing in the UK with climbing gyms opening up, and it's so cool to see climbing on this big stage."

In addition to Roberts' achievement, Anruku, 17, took silver for Japan, while 33-year-old veteran Jakob Schubert secured the bronze. Another Briton, Hamish McArthur, finished in fifth place. Roberts' gold also means that climbing, introduced to the Olympics at the Tokyo Games, is now the 44th different sport in which Great Britain has won a medal, spanning both summer and winter Olympics.