Bakery Part-Timer Turns Out to Be National Athlete... 153cm Mighty Climber Mori Ai [Japanese Side]

Starting with Climbing Experience with 9-Year-Old Father... Achieving Lead World Championship Gold Medal
Same Age and Overlapping Main Events, Seo Chaehyun Also Considered a Rival

One of the sports gaining attention among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) these days is climbing. I've been quite into it recently, so I watched all the matches of Seo Chaehyun, who competed in the women's climbing event at the Paris Olympics. Whenever I say I do climbing, many people ask, "Is it possible with your height?" Watching climbers jump between holds, it seems like a sport that favors people with long limbs, or so-called "reach."

The bakery Kuronne in Ibaraki, which reported on player Mori's part-time job news. The post has been taken down. (Photo source=SNS)

However, there are many climbers with small builds who show explosive strength. Being lighter in weight can also be advantageous. The Japanese climber who appeared in the women's climbing bouldering finals at the Paris Olympics surprised many people. She is Ai Mori (20) from Japan. Standing at 153 cm, many thought she was a student, but she caught attention by consistently controlling the holds with a blank expression, regardless of others' opinions. Being the same age as Seo and having the same main event, 'lead climbing,' she is often called Seo's rival. Although she finished 4th in this Olympics, her reputation remains solid. Today, we share the story of Ai Mori, the Japanese women's national climbing representative.

[Image source= Xinhua News Agency]

Mori was born on September 17, 2003, in Ibaraki Prefecture. When she was in the first grade of elementary school, her family visited a newly opened shopping mall, which happened to have an indoor climbing gym. After trying it out with her father, she became hooked on climbing. She quickly stood out and began competing in domestic and international competitions from elementary school. She reportedly spent 4 to 5 days a week almost living at the climbing gym. In the third grade, she participated in the 'Arco Rock Junior' youth competition held in Italy and won all three events: bouldering, lead, and speed. At 15, she won a bronze medal in the lead category at the 2019 World Championships, becoming the youngest Japanese medalist in history.

Her particular strength lies in the lead event. Lead climbing involves climbing a high wall while hanging from a single rope. The artificial wall is 15 meters tall with holds installed, and climbers must ascend within a 6 to 8-minute time limit. Unlike bouldering, which requires explosive power in a short burst, lead climbing is known for requiring perseverance and endurance.

Japanese athlete Mori Ai, who competed in the women's sports climbing combined event at the Paris Olympics. (Photo by Paris Olympics official website)

Last year, Mori won the gold medal in women's lead at the World Championships held in Bern, Switzerland, becoming the first Japanese climber to win gold in the lead event at the World Championships, regardless of gender. This achievement also secured her a spot in this year's Paris Olympics.

However, at the Paris Olympics, the sport climbing event combined scores from bouldering and lead to determine the winner. Mori struggled with the first bouldering problem, failing to solve it. Starting in 7th place with 39.0 points in bouldering, she scored 96.1 points in lead, ranking first in that category. Nevertheless, her combined score placed her 4th overall, missing out on a medal. This scoring method, which sums points from two events, has been criticized for disadvantaging athletes who excel in only one discipline.

After the Olympics, Mori became a hot topic in Japan because it was revealed that she worked part-time at a chain bakery centered in her hometown, Ibaraki. The bakery posted a photo of Mori in uniform holding bread, stating, "We actually have a part-time worker competing in the Paris Olympics." They explained that Mori is a diligent worker loved by both customers and staff. The post quickly gained 20,000 likes and became a sensation, but it has since been taken down. It seems that the media coverage of the national team climber's part-time job caused her some pressure.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

In fact, Mori has previously given interviews about her university admission. She is currently enrolled at Tsukuba University, known for its prestigious College of Education and College of Physical Education. Despite reaching the world’s top level as a teenager, she chose not to turn professional and prepared for university entrance exams, which attracted attention. She said in an interview, "If I become a professional, I would have to focus on competition results. Since results directly affect earnings, I would only care about good results. I don't like that." She added, "I once focused only on results and experienced a slump. I chose to go to university to maintain the stance of climbing because it's fun." She also mentioned, "If I were a professional and did this as my livelihood, I think I would be concerned about results. When there are no big competitions, my classes are packed from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., so during that time, I don't think about climbing and focus only on studying. After returning home, I think only about climbing."

She is even taking a teacher training course and has to do educational practice. In an interview, Mori said, "Even if there are times when I can't climb for a month or two, it's okay because of the effort I've built up so far. If I have the mindset to work hard to catch up for what I missed, there is no problem. Studying and sports are connected, so focusing on one will lead to the other."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Regarding the charm of climbing, she said, "It is a sport without handicaps, from children to the elderly. The irreplaceable charm of climbing is that you can have free ideas." She also said, "In track and field, it is clear that a world record is set if you finish within a certain number of seconds, but climbing doesn't have that (since you just need to complete the climb). It is a sport you can enjoy for a lifetime."

She is the same age as Seo Chaehyun from Korea and shares the same main event, forming a rivalry. When asked in 2019 about being rivals with Seo, she said, "We motivate each other by competing. Being rivals together raises each other, and because our generation can level up together, it is a very precious relationship." We look forward to the great performances of both athletes in the future. I am also inspired, so I will work hard on the wall this weekend.