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Kyra Condie, decade after severe back surgery, qualifies for Olympic sport climbing

By OlympicTalkNov 29, 2019, 1:16 PM EST
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Penny Oleksiak edges Simone Manuel, Regan Smith sizzles again in Knoxville Mikaela Shiffrin among favorites eliminated early in parallel giant slalom Regan Smith swims another historic backstroke time at Pro Series meet

Ten years ago, a nurse practitioner told a crying Kyra Condie that climbing wasn’t that important. Condie needed back surgery for severe idiopathic scoliosis, which could have ended her sport climbing career at age 13.

“Turns out, climbing IS pretty important to me and it was that moment that made me choose a different surgeon,” was posted on Condie’s social media.

She underwent 10-vertebrae spinal fusion surgery to correct a 70-degree curvature the following March.

“I’m lucky I did [the surgery], because his approach was to fuse less vertebrae and leave me with more mobility which has been crucial to my climbing,” was posted on Condie’s social media.

That decision led Condie on a path that, on Friday, hit a milestone marker — qualifying for the first U.S. Olympic sport climbing team. Condie earned her spot by reaching the final of an Olympic qualifier in Toulouse, France.

She is the third American to qualify for the sport’s Olympic debut in Tokyo, joining Brooke Raboutou and Nathaniel Coleman. One more man can make the U.S. team at a Pan Am qualifier in three months.

Condie is a Twin Cities native who graduated from the University of Minnesota last year and recently moved to Salt Lake City. She was 25th at the world championships in August.

Overall, 26 athletes have qualified for the U.S. Olympic team across all sports. A full roster is here. The team will eventually eclipse 500 athletes.

Olympic sport climbing will feature one set of medals per gender, the event combining three disciplines: lead, speed and bouldering.

From Tokyo 2020: Speed climbing pits two climbers against each other, both climbing a fixed route on a 15-meter wall at a 95-degree angle. Winning times are generally between five and eight seconds. In bouldering, climbers scale a number of fixed routes on a four-meter wall in a specified time without safety ropes. In lead climbing, athletes attempt to climb as high as possible on a wall measuring over 15 meters in height within a fixed time with safety ropes.

The sport debuted at the Youth Olympics in 2018 in Buenos Aires, but no Americans were entered.

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In the fall of 2009, I had a nurse practitioner tell me that I could stop crying because “climbing isn’t that important” and that “one day you’ll have a family and you’ll realize you don’t need to be sad.” Turns out, climbing IS pretty important to me and it was that moment that made me choose a different surgeon to perform my 10 vertebrae spinal fusion. I’m lucky I did, because his approach was to fuse less vertebrae and leave me with more mobility which has been crucial to my climbing. It’s now been 9 years since my surgery (March 12th, 2010) and it still amazes me how little I even notice my restricted mobility. I do tend to have trouble on certain types of moves, but there’s almost always another method to avoid twisting and sideways bending (the two motions I have trouble with). If anyone has any questions about my recovery or anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask 😁 I love talking to other people with a spinal fusion! Photo 1: pre back surgery Photo 2: post back surgery Photo 3: post back surgery rib hump (from the remaining curve in my spine) Photo 4: @greg_mionske photo from the Vail World Cup! #scoliosis #spinalfusion

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Nathaniel Coleman is second athlete to qualify for U.S. Olympic sport climbing team

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By OlympicTalkNov 28, 2019, 12:53 PM EST
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Penny Oleksiak edges Simone Manuel, Regan Smith sizzles again in Knoxville Mikaela Shiffrin among favorites eliminated early in parallel giant slalom Regan Smith swims another historic backstroke time at Pro Series meet

Nathaniel Coleman became the first American man to qualify for sport climbing’s Olympic debut by making the final of an Olympic qualifier in Toulouse, France, on Thursday.

Coleman, a 22-year-old from Utah, qualified for Tokyo on his second try. He was the top U.S. man at the world championships in August, placing 12th when a top-10 would have clinched an Olympic berth.

“As Toulouse creeps closer, I’ve noticed my mind fixating on it throughout my days and nights,” was posted on his Instagram earlier this week. “I think the last time I’ve cared so much about a competition was in the weeks leading up to my first open national, back in 2014. I’m usually pretty laid back until the actual day of the comp, when I can let my nerves surface and feel them drive me to compete. But not this one, it’s got my number and won’t stop calling.”

On Thursday, Coleman was seventh in qualifying into Saturday’s eight-man final. The top six in Toulouse make the Olympics, but two of the finals qualifiers were Japanese, and Japan had already maxed out its Olympic qualifiers at worlds in August. Therefore, everybody else who made the final is guaranteed an Olympic spot. Another American, Sean Bailey, missed the final by one spot.

A pending Japanese federation lawsuit could impact Olympic qualification, but under the current procedures, Coleman has clinched.

He joined the already qualified Brooke Raboutou on the U.S. Olympic team. The roster could get up to two athletes per gender total after the women’s event in Toulouse and the Pan American qualifier in three months.

Overall, 25 athletes have qualified for the U.S. Olympic team across all sports. A full roster is here. The team will eventually eclipse 500 athletes.

Olympic sport climbing will feature one set of medals per gender, the event combining three disciplines: lead, speed and bouldering. Coleman specializes in bouldering.

From Tokyo 2020: Speed climbing pits two climbers against each other, both climbing a fixed route on a 15-meter wall at a 95-degree angle. Winning times are generally between five and eight seconds. In bouldering, climbers scale a number of fixed routes on a four-meter wall in a specified time without safety ropes. In lead climbing, athletes attempt to climb as high as possible on a wall measuring over 15 meters in height within a fixed time with safety ropes.

The sport debuted at the Youth Olympics in 2018 in Buenos Aires, but no Americans were entered.

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Brooke Raboutou is first U.S. Olympic sport climbing qualifier

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By OlympicTalkAug 18, 2019, 5:45 PM EDT
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Brooke Raboutou, 18, became the first American to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in sport climbing by placing ninth at the world championships in Hachioji, Japan, USA Climbing confirmed.

Raboutou, the daughter of two world-class climbers who has competed since age 7, became the seventh American across all sports to qualify for the 2020 Olympics after three open-water swimmers, two modern pentathletes and a triathlete.

Olympic sport climbing will feature one set of medals per gender, the event combining three disciplines: lead, speed and bouldering.

From Tokyo 2020: Speed climbing pits two climbers against each other, both climbing a fixed route on a 15-meter wall at a 95-degree angle. Winning times are generally between five and eight seconds. In bouldering, climbers scale a number of fixed routes on a four-meter wall in a specified time without safety ropes. In lead climbing, athletes attempt to climb as high as possible on a wall measuring over 15 meters in height within a fixed time with safety ropes.

A nation can qualify up to two athletes per gender into Olympic sport climbing.

The sport debuted at the Youth Olympics in 2018 in Buenos Aires, but no Americans were entered.

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MORE: Tokyo 2020 Olympic master competition schedule