– It breaks my heart when I hear eight- to nine-year-old girls or boys talking about how if they lost a few kilos or if they were as thin as someone else, they would climb better, says Garnbret in an Olympic interview. Slovenske Garnbret is not just anyone in the climbing circus. The 25-year-old won gold in the combination exercise during the Paris Games, and was the reigning Olympic champion from Tokyo. The problems she felt in her own sport became so great that she felt she had to speak out loud about it. – Because people risk their lives for a very small part of their lives, which is their career. And after that, it can have serious health consequences. DELIVERED UP TO EXPECTATIONS: Garnbret also delivered under pressure at the Olympics in Paris. Photo: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi / AP – Eating disorders are a problem in our sport The Slovenian is at the very top of the world in sport climbing. She says that it is an advantage to be light in a sport where you fight against gravity, but that it has also become a negative side of the sport. – Being light does not mean being strong. You can be healthy and fit and be a good athlete, she says. STRONG: Garnbret’s muscles are clearly visible when she climbs. Photo: Benoit Tessier / Reuters She says that she herself wants to end her career as a healthy person, and that she will not have health problems later in life due to weight problems. That is why she herself wanted to speak loudly about it in a sport where it is talked about a lot – but rarely loudly. – We cannot close our eyes to the fact that climbing is a sport that is linked a lot to weight. We all knew that eating disorders are a problem in our sport. Now more and more people are talking about it. I received so much positive feedback, says the 25-year-old. This is Janja Garnbret Age: 25 years (born 12 March 1999) From: Slovenia Sport: Sport climbing Background: Started climbing as a seven-year-old, and participated in her first national competition as an eight-year-old A selection of merits (in the branches of bouldering, led and combined exercise) : One Olympic gold, eight World Cup gold, four European Championship gold and 45 World Cup victories – Rarely works in the long run The Norwegian national team climber Sunniva Øvre-Eide tells news that the focus on weight is something you notice all the time, even though she believes it has has become less taboo in recent years. – There has been more and more talk about it, even though it is difficult to talk about one’s own body and one’s sense of self. But if you use trainers and friends, it becomes easier, of course. Sunniva Øvre-Eide in action on the climbing wall. Photo: IFSC She adds: – At the start of new seasons, you occasionally see athletes who do well, but quickly disappear. Major changes in one’s own body and weight very rarely work in the long run. Young sport The Porsgrunn woman has been climbing since she could crawl, and is both a Norwegian and Nordic bouldering champion. As the sport is relatively young in a world context, she believes that this means that many of the climbers do not have good enough equipment around them. – It can be quite difficult, because you have to find your own way. Climbing is still not that well known to others, and there is no recipe for how to do things. You have to find out for yourself how strong you are in terms of your own body, says the 20-year-old. Tearful meeting with the uncle 00:57 Check this celebration: Wild jubilation after overtime scoring 01:00 Watch the dramatic final seconds 00:53 LeBron James showed support 00:23 Show more Published 13/08/2024, at 20.23
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Slovenian Janja Garnbret goes out against health-threatening weight focus in climbing – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
