LE BOURGET — South Korean climber Seo Chae-hyun finished sixth in the women's combined sport climbing event at the Paris Olympics, concluding the competition on Saturday with a total score of 105.0 points across the bouldering and lead disciplines.
According to Yonhap News Agency, who entered the finals as the last qualifier, scored 76.1 points in the lead event held in the afternoon at Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue, after securing only 28.9 points in the bouldering session earlier in the day. Despite a stronger performance in lead climbing, where she ranked fourth among the finalists, her early setbacks in bouldering limited her overall potential to contest for a medal.
Seo's participation in the Paris Olympics marked her second Olympic appearance, following the sport's debut at the 2021 Tokyo Games. Unlike in Tokyo, where Seo finished eighth, the speed climbing discipline was contested separately in Paris, allowing athletes to focus more on the technical aspects of bouldering and lead climbing. Seo, ranked third worldwide in lead and 18th in bouldering, was considered a strong contender for a medal but fell short by 42.4 points from the bronze medalist, Austria’s Jessica Pilz.
The competition's structure allowed climbers to accumulate points based on their performance in climbing specific routes within a set timeframe, with penalties for unsuccessful attempts. Despite a valiant effort in lead climbing, Seo’s earlier difficulties in bouldering, where she was the only finalist not to complete at least one route, significantly impacted her final standing.