Toby Roberts secured a historic gold as he became Team GB's first-ever sport climbing Olympic champion at Paris 2024.
The 19-year-old, who first started climbing aged just three, clinched the men’s combined lead crown in dramatic fashion.
He finished third in the first part of the competition with 63.1 boulder points before falling just short of the top of the lead climb, to secure at least a silver medal with only Sorato Anraku left to climb.
But Roberts’ victory was confirmed when world number one Anraku slipped off the wall just a few metres from gold and was left to settle for second.
“I'm just absolutely lost for words,” Roberts said after the event. “To find out that I got the gold in that moment, it was just truly incredible.
HISTORY!!! 🥇
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 9, 2024
Toby Roberts wins Team GB’s first sport climbing medal at an Olympic Games.#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/PDvXDPH1ln
“I've been training for this moment my whole life, and now I've just won. To say it hasn't sunk in is an understatement.
“I don't really know what to think right now, but I imagine later, there's just going to be a flood of emotions.
“I'm just going to realise that, it’s a goal I've been training towards for for 10 years, basically. Just no words.”
“[Sorato Anraku] is just an incredibly strong guy, amazing, an incredible guy. It’s insane how strong he is.
“It looked like he was climbing a bit nervous, but, he's still just an incredible guy.”
Great Britain was the only nation to have two representatives in the boulder and lead final, with Roberts' compatriot Hamish McArthur putting in an impressive performance on Olympic debut to finish fifth.
First British male climber to compete at the Olympics.
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 9, 2024
First British climber to medal at the Olympics.
19-years-old.
Wow.
Toby Roberts you are a superstar! 🧗 ✨ https://t.co/3HCG9R062i pic.twitter.com/XKdxA3tkp7
The 22-year-old occupied the podium positions for much of the final until Roberts and Anraku knocked him out of the medals, but the Yorkshireman was left feeling nothing but pride from his performance.
He said: "I’m very happy with that. I’m not going to ask for anymore.
"There was no way that I was down to make the final here, so I’ve just been enjoying every moment that I’ve had out here. The crowd is wild. They react to everything you do.
"The thing I’m most proud of is that I managed to come out here and not let the pressure distract me from enjoying myself. Sometimes you retreat into yourself and forget about everyone, or you can really enjoy it and then that takes you out of the moment and you climb a bit worse.
"I feel like I found the balance today. I was calm but also very happy and relaxed and just wanted to show everyone a good time."
Sportsbeat 2024