When American Colin Duffy was 12 years old, his sport wasn’t part of the Olympics. Now 19, Duffy just qualified for his second Games.
Duffy took silver at the world sport climbing championships in Bern, Switzerland, on Saturday to earn a spot at the 2024 Paris Games.
Duffy was seventh in Tokyo in climbing’s Olympic debut as the youngest male or female competitor.
He is now ranked 14th and 16th in the world, respectively, in the lead and bouldering disciplines that make up the combined event held at worlds and the Olympics.
He took second at the world championships behind Austrian Jakob Schubert, the Olympic bronze medalist.
Alberto Ginés López of Spain, the Olympic champion, placed 29th at worlds.
American Nathaniel Coleman, the Olympic silver medalist, did not compete at worlds. He has one international result since September, a 37th-place finish in a bouldering World Cup in Salt Lake City on May 22.
Climbing debuted at the Olympics in Tokyo as one event per gender combining results from the bouldering, lead and speed disciplines.
For Paris, climbing is split into two medal events per gender: one speed event and one event combining bouldering and lead.
A nation can qualify up to two athletes per event per gender. Last Thursday, Emma Hunt became the first U.S. climber to qualify for Paris, doing so in the speed event with a world silver medal.
More Americans can qualify through international competitions over the next 10 months.
