Brooke Raboutou

Brooke Raboutou Earns Third Lead Climbing World Cup Podium Of Season

by Todd Kortemeier

Brooke Raboutou competes during the women's climbing combined finals at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Aug. 6, 2021 in Tokyo.

 

Brooke Raboutou led for a long time Saturday in Koper, Slovenia, with a score of 23, then settled for third place at a women’s lead world cup event.
Raboutou, a 2020 Olympian, was in first place until the last two climbers in the finals. Japan’s Ai Mori passed her for a score of 30 and held on for the win, much to the chagrin of the Slovenian fans who saw hometown favorite and Olympic champion Janja Garnbret finish second. It was the first time Garnbret failed to win a lead world cup this season although she retained her commanding lead in the season standings.
Raboutou was able to gain ground on runner-up Seo Chae-Hyun of South Korea, who finished fourth.
The podium finish was the third of the season in lead for Raboutou, who finished third in the bouldering world cup standings. The 21-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, made her Olympic debut at the sport’s Olympic debut last summer at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. She placed fifth in the combined Olympic format.
Natalia Grossman was the other U.S. woman to qualify for the final, placing seventh.
No U.S. men qualified for the final in their event, with Olympic silver medalist Nathaniel Coleman classified as the top U.S. finisher in a tie for 27th. Jesse Grupper, who won the previous world cup event in July in France, was 32nd. 
The next lead world cup for both men and women begins Sept. 9 in Edinburgh, Scotland.


Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.