[Paris Olympics] Climber Lee Dohyun Starts 10th in First Match: "Regrets Remain"

If Combined 'Lead' Ranks Within Top 8, Advance to Finals
"I Will Do My Best in Lead to Reach the Finals"

Lee Dohyun (Seoul City Hall·Black Yak), who competed in the sports climbing combined event, had a disappointing start in his Olympic debut. The sports climbing combined event sums the scores of 'bouldering' and 'lead,' and Lee Dohyun ranked 10th in the first event, bouldering.

On the 5th, at the Le Bourget climbing venue in Paris, France, Lee Dohyun scored 34.0 points in the men's semifinal bouldering of the 2024 Paris Olympic sports climbing combined event (bouldering + lead), placing 10th. In bouldering, athletes must solve as many as possible of four problems set on a 4.5-meter-high wall without ropes within the given time. Each attempt on a hold deducts 0.1 points, and the perfect combined score for the four problems is 100 points.

On the 5th (local time), Lee Dohyun of Korea is climbing a rock wall in the men's combined bouldering semifinal of the 2024 Paris Olympic sport climbing event held at the Le Bourget Climbing Stadium in France. [Image source=Yonhap News]

That day, Lee Dohyun conquered the 10-point holds on all four problems but failed to tackle the 25-point holds. Among the 20 competitors, only six managed to grab at least one 25-point top hold. Lee Dohyun said, "It was very difficult," but added, "Still, there were athletes who solved the problems. It’s my lack of ability."

The men's semifinal lead event of the combined competition will take place at 5 p.m. Korean time on the 7th. Lead climbing involves ascending as high as possible on a 15-meter-high wall within six minutes by grabbing holds. Lee Dohyun is ranked 3rd in the world in bouldering, 10th in lead, and 8th in combined bouldering + lead. He won a silver medal in the men's combined event at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games. This is his first Olympic appearance.

Lee Changhyun, Lee Dohyun’s father and coach who led the Korean sports climbing team at the 2021 Tokyo Games, reportedly advised him via video call in Paris to "have fun." Lee Dohyun said, "I was a bit nervous, so I don’t think I enjoyed it," and added, "Since lead is my strength, I will do my best to advance to the finals."