Huge Win After Insane Boulder Finale
Toby Roberts stunned the crowd when he beat the buzzer to win his first World Cup gold
The men’s finals at the Brixen World Cup this weekend had some big moments, but none as memorable as the final climb. The stunning finale came down to Toby Roberts, who would win gold if he topped or would miss the podium all together and finish fourth.
The British climber was up against last week’s winner in Prague, South Korea’s Lee Dohyun and four top Japanese climbers in the final, and he was trying to win his first-ever gold medal. The pressure was on, not that you could tell.
“Because we see the scores in the back I knew I had to top,” said Roberts. “So I was just trying to stay calm and look at the boulder as just a boulder and not think about anything else, but it’s pretty hard when you are in that environment. The crowd was incredible and part of the reason I got up it.”
The crowd was incredible, and incredibly loud when Roberts let out the emotion at the top of the final boulder when the realisation set in he had won his first gold. Watch his win below.
“Words can’t explain it, I feel absolutely incredible. The fight on that last boulder, I have no words, I had to give it absolutely everything. I left it all on the boulder and I can’t quite believe I won my first World Cup. It’s so surreal.”
Until that last climb the person in pole position was the South Korean Lee who was straight out of the box with a flashed first boulder in around 40 seconds that everyone before him had even struggled to zone.
Behind Roberts and Lee came the four Japanese climbers, with Ogata Yoshiyuki leading the pack to take the final medal on offer, the bronze. Ogata’s bronze was thanks to a flash on the final boulder, something which teammate Narasaki Meichi also did. More attempts throughout the other finals three boulders put him in fourth.
Young gun Anraku Sorato continued his good form in his debut season with another final appearance alongside Narasaki Tomoa who had to settle for sixth. Meichi can claim the family honours this time around.
Highlights
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