Thread by @washingtonpost

For Olympic climber Brooke Raboutou, every wall is a puzzle to be solved as much as conquered.

Each presents different challenges and requires a dynamic blend of strength, speed and patience. wapo.st/3BD2oE2

Sport climbing is making its Olympic debut in #Tokyo2020, as organizers hope to lure a younger audience.

Competitors will be expected to excel in three disciplines: speed climbing, bouldering and lead climbing, each posing unique challenges. wapo.st/3BD2oE2

In speed climbing competitors race each other up a wall towering 50 feet with 31 holds on it. wapo.st/3BD2oE2

In lead climbing athletes attack a wall that’s at least 15 meters tall. They have only one shot and must wear a harness.

The wall is a unique puzzle each time, and climbers are allowed just a few minutes to study the holds before the clock starts ticking. wapo.st/3BD2oE2

Bouldering features a smaller, five-meter climbing surface and includes unforgiving angles, impossibly small holds and tricky transitions that often require acrobatic maneuvering. wapo.st/3BD2oE2

Raboutou’s family has been likened to Pixar’s “The Incredibles,” the animated family of superheroes, for the mind-bending athleticism they exhibit in competitive sport climbing. wapo.st/3BD2oE2

Raboutou took advantage of the year-long postponement to fine-tune her speed climbing.

In training, she broke the wall into five-meter segments, trying to master one piece at a time before putting it all together at competitions. wapo.st/3BD2oE2

Watch Brooke Raboutou speed climb right in front of you.

Use your phone camera to scan the QR code in the story to experience it in Augmented Reality. wapo.st/3BD2oE2

For Raboutou and all of the climbers in Tokyo, these Olympics are merely just one step — a single hold on a giant wall.

With the Olympics’ backing, their sport is moving skyward at a blazing-fast speed. wapo.st/3BD2oE2

Learn more about skateboarding, another new event at #Tokyo2020:

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