By Hiroki Noda,
Sport climbing silver medalist Sorato Anraku said Friday he is walking away from his first Olympics with unfinished business.
After being the only climber in the eight-man final to conquer the first two boulder problems, the 17-year-old from Japan failed to scale the next two, blowing a chance to carry a bigger advantage into the second half of the competition.
And then on the lead route, which the climbers said favored athletes with higher endurance, Anraku appeared to lose rhythm before falling from the wall when he was within striking distance of gold at the Le Bourget sport climbing venue.
"I'm just happy to have taken silver in my first Olympics, but I'm more disappointed," he said. "I didn't finish well in either (discipline)."
"I know I've come this far in about a year and a half since I began to compete (on the World Cup circuit). I'll try to improve so I can be called the world's best climber in both."
Newly crowned Olympic boulder and lead champion Toby Roberts of Britain did well in the lead, putting pressure on Anraku, the last climber of the event, after the Japanese established a slim lead in the boulder portion.
It is a familiar position for the two climbers who have competed against each other since youth competitions.
"I was definitely in shock once I realized I'd won gold," the 19-year-old Roberts said. "It's great to have someone who is pushing so hard like Sorato is. He's very strong. It's great to have him there to compete against and also to have a good friend on the circuit."
Head coach of Japan's sport climbing team Hiroshi Yasui thought the day's lead route was a better fit for Roberts and bronze medalist Jakob Schubert of Austria, saying they lean more on body strength, an aspect of the sport Anraku must improve.
In the lead, Anraku could only manage the fifth-highest score, while Roberts placed third, the same as in the boulder section, and Schubert was tied with the best score.
Yasui said Anraku's fall in the lead came on a part of the route that was not "particularly difficult."
"His stamina was running out after he got a bit too tense and failed to climb smoothly early on under pressure."
"The lead apparently made the difference. Now we know what Anraku needs to work on. I'll have him train from scratch," Yasui said.
Related coverage:
Olympics: Climbing gold slips through fingers of Japan's Anraku
Olympics: Japanese climbing star Nonaka misses final, Mori advances
Olympics: Narasaki slips up in men's climbing, Anraku top after semis
