Christopher Cosser of South Africa during the sport climbing men's combined, lead qualification on Day 11 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Aomi Urban Sports Park on August 03, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan

 

Athletes scampered up giant walls and clambered over plastic boulders as climbing made its Olympic debut on Tuesday, taking the sinew-straining, muscle-bulging sport to dizzying new heights.

Twenty climbers competed in the men's qualifying round, testing their mettle over the three disciplines of speed, lead and bouldering.

South Africa's Christopher Cosser and South ­Korea's Chon Jong-won kicked off the opening speed round, where climbers race up a 15-meter vertical wall using a series of plastic holds.

Under a setting sun on the outside wall, Cosser zipped to the top in 6.48 seconds, while Chon slipped near the start and spun back down on his safety rope.

The combined score of the three events determines the final positions, with eight climbers going through to the final round.

The women's qualifying event, featuring hot favorite Janja Garnbret of Slovenia, takes place on Wednesday.

France's Bassa Mawem took first place in the speed event with a best time of 5.45 seconds from his two attempts.

Japan's Tomoa Narasaki - one of the favourites for the title - was second in 5.94, despite not even bothering to use his second run.

Bouldering sees ­climbers clamber over rocks and faces without a rope, trying to "solve" the course with ­dramatic leaps and ­impressive feats of strength.