Hamish McArthur questioned whether he should even try to qualify for the Olympics at the start of this year. After finishing fifth in the final of the sport climbing, the 23-year-old is grateful that he gave it a shot.
Hailing from York, McArthur was something of a surprise qualifier for the eight-man final of the men’s boulder and lead competition.
Once he had booked his place in the top eight though, McArthur made it count, sitting in the medal positions until the final two competitors.
Compatriot Toby Roberts knocked him out of medal contention, on his way to a gold medal at just 19, before Japan’s Sorato Anraku grabbed silver.
But given that he was not even sure if it was worth trying to make it to Paris, McArthur was thrilled at the way he got on in the final.
He said: “I’m very happy with that. I’m not going to ask for anymore. There was no way that I was down to make the final here, so I’ve just been enjoying every moment that I’ve had out here. The crowd is wild. They react to everything you do.
“This event is like nothing I’ve ever done before. I wasn’t even sure I was going to compete at this Olympics, I was on the fence about whether I wanted to compete this year, just because I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself.
“But I did, I showed up, and I’m so proud of myself for doing that and having a good time. I just wasn’t expecting to have such a smile on myself during the whole event.”
With Roberts taking gold and McArthur also reaching the final, as well as Erin McNeice qualifying for Saturday’s women’s boulder and lead final, these Games could be a game changer for sport climbing.
The sport made its debut in Tokyo and has quickly captured the imagination fans and fellow athletes alike.
Despite the British success at these Games, the facilities in the UK still need improvement, which McArthur hopes will come with these results.
But as much as he hopes to see greater investment in climbing, McArthur is adamant that it should not come at the expense of the sport’s ethos.
He added: “Tons of money would be nice. Tons of money being thrown around. It’s going to have an impact. Climbing gyms are already popping up everywhere, and they’re only going to get better from this. They are going to have more money, more investment into this sport.
“Such a marketable sport as you can see. It’s one of the sports the crowd gets the most hyped about that I’ve ever seen live. I hope it’s done in the right way; I don’t want it to become overly corporate. I don’t want it to change too much.”
Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here