Seo Chae-hyun
Of South Korea tackles the course during the Women’s Combined Sport Climbing Qualification at the
Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games at the Yangshan Sports Climbing Center in Kirchao, Shaoxing, near Hangzhou, China, on Friday.
After dreaming of a thrilling upset in the sport climbing final, South Korea’s Chaehyun Seo (20, The North
Face) had to settle for a silver medal in a steady rain. The final was canceled and the final rankings were
determined by previous performances, with Seo winning by a single point.
The sky was not kind to the Korean athlete, who was hoping to win a gold medal at the Hangzhou 2022
Asian Games to avenge the disappointment of missing out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.
Seo won the silver medal in the women’s combined (lead-boulder) at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games
on Sunday at the Yangshan Sports Climbing Center in Kirchao, Shaoxing, China.
The final was scheduled to take place later in the evening but was canceled due to rain, and the semifinal
results determined the final standings. After finishing second in the semifinals behind Ai Mori (20-JPN), Seo became the silver medalist.
Seo had tied with Mori in the previous semifinal with a total of 199.73 points (99.73 bouldering and 100
lead), but she had one 25 in bouldering to Mori’s two 25s.
This small difference was the difference between the two. The top eight from the semifinals went on to
compete in the final, again starting from zero, but a heavy downpour made the final unplayable. In the
final, Seo Chae-hyun, who was hoping to beat Mori for the gold medal, lost her chance.
Seo Chae-hyun
Came up just short again. At her first international multisport event, the Tokyo Olympics, two years ago,
she had a chance to make the podium, but came up short and left empty-handed.
At the Tokyo Olympic Combine
Speed was added to bouldering and lead, and after competing in all three events, the final ranking was determined by the combined score.
Sports climbing’s Seo Chae-hyun climbs a rock wall during the bouldering final of the women’s sports
climbing combine at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan, on Aug. 6.
Seo was in the bottom half of the field in speed and bouldering, but a first-place finish in her main event,
lead, would have earned her a bronze medal. However, after a calm run, Seo fell on her 35th hold and
finished second in lead, missing out on a bronze medal.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games Combined, athletes combine their results in two events, bouldering and
lead, with the exception of speed. It was a favorable environment for Seo, who hadn’t been strong in speed.
She was on a roll leading up to the competition. Her confidence was boosted by her bronze medal in the
lead event at the World Championships in Bern, Switzerland, in August.
Before the competition, Seo was considered a strong gold medal favorite, and she said, “I prepared hard
for the first place. I will definitely win,” she said. However, the heavens were not on her side and took away her chance at gold.
Although she was unable to win gold, Seo still managed to take home a valuable silver medal in Hangzhou.
It was the fourth medal for the sport climbing team. Earlier, they won bronze side-by-side in the men’s
and women’s sports team event, and Lee Do-hyun (Blackyak) took silver in the men’s combine.
With a goal of two gold medals, the sport climbing team finished the Games with two silver and two bronze medals. 섯다