Climber Oceana Mackenzie has won the Oceania qualifier to book a ticket to her second Olympics with Campbell Harrison winning the men's boulder and lead event.
Climber Oceana Mackenzie has qualified for her second Olympics after winning the boulder and lead event at the Oceania selection trials in Melbourne, while fellow Australian Campbell Harrison will make his Games debut in Paris.
New Zealand dominated the finals of the speed climbing event later on Sunday, with Australian hopefuls Hayden Barton and Grace Crowley missing a direct Olympic berth.Â
The 21-year-old Mackenzie was Australia's first female Olympic climber when the sport debuted in Tokyo, and she proved untouchable in the weekend competition.
The medal events in 2024 have doubled, with the boulder and lead tandem, which is Mackenzie's speciality, separated from the speed format.
While speed climbing is a race against another climber, bouldering scores competitors scaling a fixed route in a set time, and lead climbing has them climbing as high as possible in a set time.
Victorian Mackenzie, a regular on the World Cup stage, showed her class in the top-eight final of the boulder and lead with a near-perfect score of 199.9 points out of a possible 200.
She finished well clear of compatriots Maya Stasiuk (155.7) and Emily Scott (129.1) to secure an Olympic berth.
Mackenzie said she was excited to compete in front of a crowd in Paris after the COVID-impacted Games in Tokyo.
Due to lockdown Mackenzie, also known as Oceania, had to use a climbing wall built in her garage and complete land-based sprint training at a local oval.
"I'm super excited to go to Paris," Mackenzie told the International Federation of Sport Climbing.Â
"There's two things I am looking forward to at the Games - watching other sports is one because we didn't get the chance to do that at the last Olympics and secondly, preparing properly.Â
"Because of the lockdowns my preparations last time around were not very enjoyable and not what I had wanted and a crowd as well is definitely going to bring up the vibes."
In the men's event, Harrison, who is also from Melbourne, had a tighter contest.
The 26-year-old was in third spot after the boulder round but was the only climber to top the route in the lead, winning with 154.1 points over fellow Australians Sam Lavender (122.8) and Dylan Parks (105.2).
"It all feels quite surreal - the moment I realised I had qualified it all came out," an emotional Harrison said.Â
"Years and years of so much hard work, moments of doubt, moments of confidence and everything in between.Â
"I don't think there are any words that can fully summarise exactly what I am feeling."
In the speed climbing decider, Barton, who had been the quickest through the elimination quarter and semi-finals, lost his footing midway through the climb.
Kiwi Julian David almost blew his win when he stopped to celebrate before hitting the timer, with Barton chasing.
In a close women's event, Crowley was in the lead but her foot also slipped slightly on the last grip on the wall.
New Zealander Sarah Tetzlaff (8.54 seconds) pounced to secure first place from Crowley (8.88) and the Olympic spot.