If fans were craving more heart-pounding tension after yesterday鈥檚 nail-biting , they got it this morning as the women鈥檚 of the Combined discipline funneled into the Lead climax. Slovenia鈥檚 Janja Garnbret was leading the field, but just barely鈥 some struggles from Garnbret on the last boulder (and, worrisomely, a potential finger injury) meant that other competitors were within striking distance on the scorecards. Team USA鈥檚 Brooke Raboutou, for example, was only trailing Garnbret by 0.4 points after the Boulder portion; the quartet of Australia鈥檚 Oceana Mackenzie, France鈥檚 Oriane Bertone, Great Britain鈥檚 Erin McNeice, and Austria鈥檚 Jessica Pilz were all hovering around 59 points apiece and still in the mix too. Such close scores set a story in motion for a that will be remembered and revered for years to come.
Here are the highlights.
Chaehyun Seo Sets an Early High Point
Someone had to set the early standard on the lead route of black boomerangs, white hexagons, and blue half-sphere volumes, and South Korea鈥檚 Chaehyun Seo did so with aplomb. In fact, even before she set the high point, she confidently cut feet several times to cheers from the crowd. She eventually cruised onto the headwall and fell with a route score of 76.1 (out of 100); it would stand as the mark to beat on the wall for several subsequent competitors鈥 attempts.
The Combined Scores Come into Play
Great Britain鈥檚 Erin McNeice was not able to reach Seo鈥檚 robust high point鈥擬cNeice fell significantly lower on the wall while attempting a right-hand cross-move. But McNeice鈥檚 attempt, even if inferior to Seo鈥檚, gave everyone a reality check, of sorts; it reminded us all of the unique scoring of the Combined event, since McNeice surged to first place on the scorecards when her 68.1 Lead mark was added to her Boulder points (59.5). It鈥檚 unlikely we will see this unique Boulder and Lead Combined format ever again, but McNeice鈥檚 performance throughout the finals was a perfect example of why it鈥檚 an exhilarating way to structure a competition.
The Crowd Provided a Big Home-Court Advantage
It鈥檚 worth acknowledging how much the crowd of 6,000 spectators added to the vibe, which was also evident in the men鈥檚 final yesterday. Take, for example, the way the crowd clapped rhythmically in support of Oceana Mackenzie, or the way they chanted in unison for Oriane Bertone鈥斺淥r-i-ane! Or-i-ane! Or-i-ane!鈥 Sure, both Mackenzie and Bertone probably would have liked to crank a little higher on the lead route (each fell below the headwall), but a highlight for each of their performances was the vociferous support from the audience. It鈥檚 not something normally heard at World Cups鈥攁t least not to such a loud and unified degree鈥攑erhaps because the Olympic crowd was comprised of just as many 鈥渃asual鈥 climbing fans as hardcore fans. Whatever the reason and impetus for such enthusiastic crowd noise, it was really cool.
Japan鈥檚 Ai Mori Proved Her Lead-Climbing Prowess
It鈥檚 hard to pick a single highlight for Japan鈥檚 Ai Mori. At a pure entertainment level, she fell while launching for the top hold鈥攖he closest that any finalist would come to sending the route. But by the numbers, such a jaw-dropping performance (a) established a new high point on the route by a significant margin and (b) gave Mori the lead on the Combined scorecards. It鈥檚 probably best to package all of that together and say that Mori鈥檚 attempt on the lead route was one of the most memorable parts of the women鈥檚 final. And it鈥檚 worth noting that if Lead was it鈥檚 own medal event鈥攚hich it may well be soon鈥攕he would have taken Gold.

The Final Showdown
One could make an argument that the last 20 minutes of the final鈥攚ith the successive attempts of Brooke Raboutou, Jessica Pilz, and Janja Garnbret鈥攚ere among the most thrilling and intense moments in the history of the sport. That鈥檚 not a statement that should be made lightly, but consider how everything transpired:
First, Brooke Raboutou took a commanding lead on the Combined scores, her attempt on the lead route only coming to an end when she tried to stabilize and match on a hold in order to clip on the headwall.
Second, Jessica Pilz, in electrifying comparison, was able to make that tricky clip on the headwall, but was not able to overtake Raboutou in the Combined鈥檚 arithmetic of points.
Finally, Janja Garnbret came out and climbed masterfully鈥攈er finger, perhaps tweaked, seemed fine, and her nerves, perhaps rattled by some bouldering woes, seemed as calm as ever. She did not quite send the route; she fell when her fingertips sloughed off the edge of a hold a few moves shy of the top. But her Combined score resulted in a gold medal鈥攎aking Garnbret the sport鈥檚 first back-to-back Olympic gold medalist. Raboutou and Pilz earned silver and bronze, respectively.

It felt like a storybook ending after a long week of toil and drama, highs and lows, happiness and heartbreak for so many competitors. And for the three women atop the podium at the end, it was a surefire passage into comp climbing鈥檚 storied history.
Women鈥檚 Combined Boulder & Lead Sport Climbing final results
- Janja Garnbret (SLO): 168.5 (Boulder: 84.4, Lead: 84.1)
- Brooke Raboutou (USA) 156.0 (Boulder: 84.0, Lead 72.0)
- Jessica Pilz (AUT) 147.4 (Boulder 59.3, Lead 88.1)
- Ai Mori (JPN) 135.1 (Boulder 39.0, Lead 96.1)
- Erin McNeice (GBR) 127.6 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 68.1)
- Chaehyun Seo (KOR) 105.0 (Boulder 28.9, Lead 76.1)
- Oceana Mackenzie (AUS) 104.8 (Boulder 59.7, Lead 45.1)
- Oriane Bertone (FRA) 104.5 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 45.0)