USA's Raboutou is featuring in her second Olympic Games, just like Sport Climbing
Being at the Olympic Games is a privilege and as media you get to talk to people that billions will only see on screen. I do have access to talk to the climbers all the time through our World Cup’s, but someone I really wanted to speak to in the Games setting was USA’s Brooke Raboutou.
If I can tell you why. At the World Championships Bern 2023 I watched Brooke step in front of the TV camera and do an interview after finishing fourth – off the podium which not only handed out medals but Paris 2024 tickets. In this interview, with my media hat on, I thought ‘what a professional and mature interview’. With my personal hat on, I thought ‘wow, I don’t think I could have said and done that’. I probably shouldn’t admit it, but I was a bit in awe of her response to such heartbreak (If you haven’t watched it, please go back and see the replay).
At the Pan American Games Brooke was once again one spot off an Olympic Games ticket, although this time in second behind teammate Natalia Grossman who claimed one of the two country quota places.
That meant Brooke’s opportunity was to come through the two-event Olympic Qualifier Series. She now had to finish in the qualifying positions, and finish as top American with only one country space left to fill. I was working at both, and I watched Brooke win both events. No gold medals were given, but that coveted Olympic Games ticket was finally hers.
I thought that drive and determination was all about getting to the Games, but now I know it wasn’t just that, and I shouldn’t really be surprised that from Brooke it was more.
Just like Bern, it’s better if Brooke just talks from here on out…
“For me it’s not about the Olympics itself, it’s about setting a goal and being ok with saying it out loud. This is where I think I have grown a lot. As a kid I didn’t want to say my goals out loud because I was afraid to fail.
“Before Bern I made it a goal, I didn’t expect to qualify for the Olympics, but I definitely knew I was capable of making the podium, so saying that out loud was scary because I’m not that person to have that ego or be too confident and cocky, so it was hard to say that. But it was empowering to say that and not make it because it makes you realise that life moves on, and I still love what I do and keep fighting for it so that motivated me throughout the whole year. I use it to fuel everything I do, not just the Olympics, but far beyond.
“I have so many goals in climbing and what I love about competition is that in the pressure scenarios you have to face those fears and you have to learn what is in yourself that you are afraid of and how to conquer it to become better. I feel that’s where I have grown a lot this year and it was satisfying to show that at the OQS and come back to the Olympics as it was a huge goal of mine.”
I wondered if Brooke had second thoughts about her approach of ‘saying it out loud’ after missing out by one place on two separate occasions?
“Saying something out loud and wanting something really bad and not each achieving it doesn’t make it less worthy or doesn’t make it easier. My emotions at Bern and at the Pan Ams were very different. I enjoyed myself a lot more at Bern because I felt like I was competing with an opportunity to do the best that I could and at Pan Ams I tried to get in that headspace, but it wasn’t what I love doing because I was competing against one of my teammates and childhood best friends.
"It didn’t feel like a competition, but a qualifying event, and you are not happy unless you win, and then even if you win you feel bad for the other person, so it didn’t feel like to me why I love competing, and that was really hard to express myself on the wall genuinely.”
And what about the OQS events?
“The OQS was cool to have that as an event in itself because the organisers worked so hard to create an atmosphere that we were proud to be a part of it with the other sports. We had climbing on that big stage and we could show what we love doing.”
This is Brooke’s second time at an Olympic Games after both her and climbing made its debut at Tokyo 2020, so how is Paris?
“It feels pretty different honestly. I can tell I’ve done it before because I feel more confident in my skin and in this world, but having family able to come, having a crowd, just being able to experience things, it’s different.
“In Tokyo sometimes it didn’t feel like reality. Something felt a bit off and I don’t think I really realised how much it was different until I came here and thought ‘wow, we didn’t get to feel the Olympics and the Olympic dream and energy’.
“That’s what was so good about the Opening Ceremony here. I was so glad to be a part of it, I wasn’t able to in Tokyo, and I got to meet so many athletes I have looked up to forever as not just a fan, but as a teammate and get to talk to them – that was the Olympic energy we don’t get at other events and is so unique and special to be a part of.”
I’ve had the pleasure of talking to Brooke at many events and in many situations, but I’m glad I got this one ticked off as from a personal and professional point of view, I still tell people about that Bern interview as an example of how to express heartbreak and raw emotion in sport.