PARIS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia's Janja Garnbret claimed the women's boulder & lead title at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, becoming the first-ever double Olympic gold medalist in the sport.

American Brooke Raboutou clinched a silver, while Austrian Jessica Pilz took home the bronze.

The rankings of the boulder & lead event at the Olympics are determined by athletes' total score across both events, 100 points for each.

Garnbret, known as the "Queen of Sport Climbing," faced significant challenges during the boulder phase where competitors must climb four routes. Both Garnbret and Raboutou topped the first three routes, leaving Garnbret in need of an excellent performance on the final route to secure a clear advantage.

In a bold move, she attempted a dynamic sideways leap in the final stretch but fell from nearly four meters high, landing on the padded mat below. In a rare display of frustration and anxiety, the usually composed Slovenian stood up visibly shaken.

"I was really scared because my finger got stuck in between two holes (of a hold) and I couldn't get it out," the Slovenian revealed after the final, adding that she had fractured the exact finger 10 years ago.

"I was scared I did it again, but I had so much adrenaline that I didn't even care," she continued. "I said to myself, 'I don't care if I'm missing a hand or a finger, I will go out there and climb the route!'"

Garnbret held a narrow lead of just 0.4 points over Raboutou heading into the lead round, where several competitors delivered impressive performances. Among them was Japan's Ai Mori, a lead climbing specialist, who came closest to completing the route with a score of 96.1 points. However, her low boulder score cost her a spot on the podium.

With Raboutou falling at the 72.0-point mark, Garnbret was the last to climb. She expertly managed her stamina and secured a score of 84.1, extending her lead over Raboutou and clinching the gold medal.

Garnbret burst into tears upon landing. "I was crying so hard after boulder because I was scared for my finger," the champion recalled. "I cried three times today. The first time was from pressure, the second was because I was scared for my finger, and the third was from joy. I don't have any tears left."

The 25-year-old, who boasts eight world championship golds and over 40 World Cup titles, admitted that the pressure to defend her Olympic title was immense.

"I don't know if people realize how hard it is to defend something over and over again. It wasn't easy at all, but I did it," she said. "I also have to say, any other medal would have meant an unsuccessful Olympics for me," she added. Enditem

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