TOKYO — What no one predicted about sport climbing’s debut in the Olympics was just how compelling math can be.
None of the climbers liked that three distinct climbing disciplines — speed, bouldering and lead climbing — were mashed together into one medal event. What they may not have anticipated was the chaos it created in the final moments of competition.
As they were crawling up walls and clinging to holds on a sticky Tokyo summer’s night, using their unique blend of imagination and strength to chart their path and muscle their way upward, they also kept eyes on the scoreboard.