Showing the world why she's on a different level from all other climbers, Slovenian Janja Garnbret earned a near-perfect score during the Olympic women's lead semifinal. She now heads into the bouldering and lead combined final with an unprecedented total score of 195.7 points out of a possible 200.
The next highest-scoring climber, Jessica Pilz of Austria, was a whole 38.8 points behind Garnbret with a combined score of 156.9. American Brooke Raboutou closely followed Pilz as the No. 3 qualifier with 155.8 total points.
Garnbret, the defending Olympic champion from the Tokyo Games three years ago, stepped out for her climb with a look of calm confidence. She's been mostly unmatched in bouldering and lead competitions over the past five years.
The lead semifinal was no different. Garnbret flowed through the route with ease, easily maneuvering through the two underclings in the highest 10 holds as Paul Engemann's "Scarface (Push It to the Limit)" aptly played in the background. She almost topped the route before slipping on the final hold.
"My performance today was amazing," Garnbret said. "When I fell, as a perfectionist, my first instinct was to ask myself what I could have done to top it [the wall]. But still, falling at the top, I knew that I was making it in [to] the finals. So I was calm and I was happy that the semis are over and that now we can start with the real showtime."
Raboutou, who smoothly climbed up the wall, struggled with those underclings. She attempted to move into one of the underclings with a right foothold but had a slight slip and fell. Fellow American Natalia Grossman unexpectedly fell and did not qualify for the final after quickly cruising through the first ten holds.
"I'm definitely bummed for her because she has so much potential to be in the finals, but I hope that she was able to enjoy the moment," Raboutou said of Grossman.
Japan's Ai Mori made an impressive ascent, earning 96.1 lead points (150.1 combined points) to qualify fourth for the final. She was the only climber other than Garnbret to approach the top of the wall before slipping on the same hold as her.
In a shock, Japan's Miho Nonaka did not qualify for the final after slipping off of a hold and getting bumped out of the top eight by Raboutou.
Advancing to women's bouldering/lead combined final (Top 8):
- Janja Garnbret (SLO): 195.7 points (99.6 points in boulder, 96.1 points in lead)
- Jessica Pilz (AUT): 156.9 points (68.8 points in boulder/88.1 points in lead)
- Brooke Raboutou (USA): 155.8 points (83.7 points in boulder/72.1 points in lead)
- Ai Mori (JPN): 150.1 points (54.0 points in boulder/96.1 points in lead)
- Oriane Bertone (FRA): 129.6 points (84.5 points in boulder/45.1 points in lead)
- Oceana Mackenzie (AUS): 124.7 (79.6 points in boulder/45.1 points in lead)
- Erin McNeice (GBR): 123.7 points (59.6 points in boulder/64.1 points in lead)
- Seo Chae-Hyun (KOR): 116.3 points (44.2 points in boulder/72.1 points in lead)