Imagine waking up this morning and having to pinch yourself to make sure you didn’t just dream about qualifying for the Olympics yesterday.
That is likely what Sarah Tetzlaff and Julian David must be going through this morning, and similarly their proud coach Rob Moore.
After stunning and nail-biting races yesterday, both Julian and Sarah have officially qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics as the first NZ climbers to represent NZ at any Olympic event. It is a historic moment for the sport and the country but one that will only sink in slowly for our athletes.
Hundreds of people watched the event live on TV yesterday, many cheering and screaming at the screen and celebrating countless PBs and successes.
It has been a big journey not just for Julian and Sarah but all other NZ athletes at the IFSC Qualifying event as well. Abby Gebert and Flynn Chisholm placing third in their retrospective events is another huge success to come from the event. PBs were set by many other athletes; many running under 10, 9, 8, 7 seconds for the first time and walking away with big smiles.
We are sure there was a big celebration in Melbourne last night and we can’t wait to welcome home the team and celebrate their hard work and success.
Best times for each NZ athlete:
Females
Sarah Tetzlaff: 8.54 secs
Abby Gebert: 9.06 secs
Jorja Rangi: 9.56 secs
Mischa Boorman: 10.54 secs
Meredith Butcher: 12.40 secs
Males
Julian David: 5.96 secs
Flynn Chrisholm: 6.79 secs
Ned Johnston: 7.82 secs
Luke Stock: 10.16 secs
Jack Niles (JJ): 10.90 secs
Karyss Adams: 12.82 secs
