Korea sends three sport climbers to Paris Olympics

Lee Do-hyun, Seo Chae-hyun and Shin Eun-cheol will look to bring home Korea's first medal in sport climbing at the Olympics.

Korea's Seo Chae-hyun competes during the women's boulder final at the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday. [AFP/YONHAP]

Korea will send three sport climbers to the Paris Olympics, with Lee Do-hyun, Seo Chae-hyun and Shin Eun-cheol locking in their spots after the second leg of the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, Hungary wrapped up Sunday.

Lee won the men’s boulder and lead competition with a total of 95 points across both legs of the series, placing first in Shanghai, China last month and second in Budapest over the weekend.

Korea's Lee Do-hyun competes in the Sport Climbing Men's Boulder and Lead category during the Olympic Qualifier Series at the Ludovica Campus of Budapest, Hungary on Thursday. [AFP/YONHAP]

It will be the 21-year-old’s first time at the Games, though he is no stranger to the international stage. He won the men’s boulder at the 2023 World Cup and won a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last fall.

And he’ll be joined in Paris by fellow boulder and lead climber Seo, 20, Korea’s sole representative in the women’s event.

Seo placed fourth overall across the two-part qualifier series, earning a total of 81 points. She placed second at the first leg in Shanghai but finished in fifth place in Budapest.

Korea's Seo Chae-hyun competes in the women's boulder final during the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday. [AFP/YONHAP]

It will be Seo’s second time at the Olympics. She finished in eighth place in women's sport climbing in Tokyo following a breakout performance at the 2019 World Cup where she won the lead competition at 16 years old.

But it will be her first time competing at an Olympics where speed climbing runs separately from the highly technical boulder and lead categories following a controversial decision to combine all three in Tokyo.

Shin, 25, will be Korea’s sole representative in speed climbing after narrowly clinching a spot in the men’s contest. He finished the two-part qualifier series in 11th place but earned his spot through reallocation after higher-placed climbers were ineligible to compete. Each country can have a maximum of two athletes in each contest.

Korea's Shin Eun-cheol, far right, and the men's speed climbing qualifiers for the Paris Olympics pose after the final at the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday. [XINHUA/YONHAP]

Korea has yet to medal in sport climbing at the Olympics.

B-boy Kim Hong-yul, better known as Hong 10, also qualified to the Olympics through the qualifier series, the final shot for athletes across breaking, BMX freestyle, skateboarding and sport climbing to earn tickets to Paris.

The Paris Olympics run from July 26 to Aug. 11, and sport climbing will take place from Aug. 5 to 10.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]