America’s First Olympic Climbing Team

Brooke Raboutou

The daughter of former climbing world cup champions Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou and Didier Raboutou, climbing was always in Brooke’s blood. She started climbing at the tender age of 1 in Boulder, Colorado. 

Brooke’s streak of breaking climbing records is astounding. She was the first 9 year old to climb V10, and the first 10 year old to climb V11. After then becoming the youngest person in the world to climb 5.14b, at age 11, it was abundantly clear Brooke was on the road to an impressive climbing career. 

At the 2019 IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing) Climbing World Championships held in Hachioji, Japan, 253 athletes competed for 7 qualifying spots in the 2020 Olympics. Brooke’s combined scores for bouldering, lead, and speed were enough to qualify with a 9th place finish. Now a V13 boulderer and a house-hold name in climbing competition, Brooke looks to bring home Gold as the first member of the United States’ rock climbing team.

Nathaniel Coleman

First introduced to climbing at age 9, Nathaniel Coleman has made a name for himself as one of the United State’s strongest boulderers. A native of Utah, and a self-proclaimed sandstone lover, Nathaniel has been a mainstay in bouldering competitions since 2012. 

Nathaniel’s list of competition wins is impressive to say the least. Starting as a youth competitor, he won the USA Climbing Youth Bouldering Nationals in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Then, from 2016 to 2018, he won three straight USA Climbing Bouldering Open National Championships, then finished 2nd in 2019. Suffice it to say, climbing competitions are where Nathaniel feels most at home. 

His cool-headed demeanor was on display at the IFSC Combined Qualifier in Toulouse, France in 2019. His stellar showing in the bouldering category was enough to propel him into qualification territory.

Though he has less experience in lead and speed competitions, his track record in bouldering competitions clearly showcases why Nathaniel Coleman is Team USA’s second qualified rock climber.

Kyra Condie

A rock climber since the age of 10, Kyra Condie epitomizes dedication to the sport. She found climbing when she attended a friend’s birthday at a small climbing gym in Minnesota. Shortly after, she was training with the gym’s competitive team. She quickly progressed, and qualified for Youth Bouldering Nationals within her first year on the team. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before she received news that no young athlete wants to hear. 

Kyra was diagnosed with severe idiopathic scoliosis at age 13 and doctors told her climbing may not be the sport for her. After interviewing several surgeons, she underwent spinal fusion surgery in 2010, and returned to competitive climbing after several months of recovery. 

Her fused spine makes some static, technical movement harder, so Kyra prefers to move quickly and trust her strong fingers. Kyra credits her aggressive, dynamic climbing style to the overhung training wall she utilized when she first started climbing. She follows a strict training regiment, instilled in her by many late-night solo training sessions.

Kyra returned to competition in 2011, and won the Youth Bouldering National Championship in 2012, 2013, and 2014. She has since competed in IFSC competitions all over the world, and has cemented herself as an elite rock climber. Her finish in the IFSC Combined Qualifier in 2019 secured her spot on the USA’s Olympic climbing team, where she hopes her mentality of giving maximum effort will prove effective.