Lee Do-hyun climbs up the table to take silver in bouldering and lead

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Published: 06 Oct. 2023, 22:15 Updated: 02 Jan. 2024, 15:09

Lee Do-hyun climbs up the table to take silver in bouldering and lead

Korea's Lee Do-hyun climbs the wall during the bouldering stage of the men's bouldering and lead combined event at the Hangzhou Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Friday. [YONHAP]

Sport climber Lee Do-hyun took silver in the men’s bouldering and lead combined event on Friday, capitalizing on a strong performance in the lead section to jump up the table and reach the podium.

The bouldering and lead event combines two distinct climbing disciplines, bouldering — where athletes attempt to climb four short but technically fiendish courses — and lead — where height climbed is all that matters.

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Lee started the night in fourth place with a score of 64.6 on the bouldering section, one spot behind countryman Chon Jong-won on 69.6. Japan’s Sorato Anraku led the table with an almost perfect 99.7, with Meichi Narasaki of Japan in second on 74.7.

Things changed in the lead — although not all things, as Anraku still performed best and very nearly reached the top of the wall — with Narasaki falling out of contention having only reached 13 holds for nine points.

China’s Pan Yufei, who came fifth with 59.6 in the bouldering, reached the 23rd hold and took 28 points, leaving it looking for a long time like he would take silver and Chon, who reached 17 holds and took 16 points, would take third.

That remained the case until Lee — the penultimate climber to attempt the lead wall and the only one with a chance of changing the standing with only Anraku to come — stepped up and blew Pan’s 23 holds away with a big 32+, earning him 54.1 points for the effort and shooting him straight into second place.

That change in fortunes pushed Chon out of medal contention — and things did perhaps look a little frosty in the athletes’ area after the run — but secured Korea its first silver in sport climbing at this year’s Asiad.

Korea earlier earned two bronze medals in the men’s and women’s sport climbing speed relay on Wednesday.

Speed, an entirely separate discipline, is all about how fast you reach the top, not the complexity of the wall or the height involved.

Korea still has one more chance to medal in sport climbing on Saturday with the women’s bouldering and lead event.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]