The two tops belong to Japan! Kai Harada and Miho Nonaka dominated Bouldering finals for both men and momen, in Aspire Park on Monday 14 October 2019.
Miho Nonaka (JPN) showed her quality with the help of her lucky charm. The bag that she carries chalk during the Games. The customised bag has the face of a cartoon character Bob Squarepants, “my favourite,” as she said. And she quoted: “I love Bob and I wanted to carry him with me all the time.”
Besides that hand from Bob, 22 years old Nonaka gave an extraordinary show. She climbed all four tops. The only athlete who made it. And grabbed the gold medal in her last try.
“It feels great. I get to top all the tops, so I am extremely satisfied.”
Petra Klingler (SUI) made sure that the competition (for the gold medal) will survive until the last second. She managed to solve the fourth and final problem, as they call each route to the top. And she waited for a miracle. Although the Swiss ended up with the silver medal, she deserves the gold for her “fair play.”
“I am also happy for Miho. She is my friend, she is strong and she was better tonight. If she finished in front of me, it means she was better. I wanted to win but I never wish for her to fall,” she quoted carrying that big smile she had when she was trying to get on top.
After a while, in the men’s final Kai Harada and Keita Watabe fought each other for the gold medal.
Harada was the winner, exactly as it happened in the semi-final. He made it to three of the four tops, like his compatriot. Watabe solved only two problems.
But it was a domination of Japan to a sport that is being added to the Olympic Games. Starting from their homeland Japan!
“I am happy but not fully,” he said. “I wanted to get on four tops, not three,” Harada explained later. And expressed the opinion that Japan can win gold in Tokyo 2020.
As for Watabe, he quoted “It was real easy. They picked easy problems to be solved. But I only made two tops.”.
