Paris 2024 dreams
With mention of the Olympics peppering the conversation, it’s clear that for Lee, the Games in Paris are a goal.
Having made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020, in 2021, sport climbing’s return to the Olympic program for France means there is once more opportunity for climbers to compete on sport’s greatest stage.
And it’s a prospect the Korean is relishing.
“As an athlete, we all have our own goals to achieve, regardless of how big or how small they are before retiring from competitive sports. In that sense, for me, the Olympics is the ultimate accomplishment; it means everything to me,” Lee shared outlining the scope of his ambition.
“Whether or not I make it to the podium at Paris 2024, I would be very content to be on that stage. Being there would be very meaningful.”
Determined to obtain a quota for Paris, should Lee compete at the Games he won’t have to look too far for advice on how to navigate the competition. His father, Lee Changhyun led the Korean sport climbing team as coach in Tokyo.
In many ways, Lee’s father has often been a beacon for the climber. He was the reason he first got into the sport.
After founding a climbing centre when Lee was just five years old, it wasn’t long after that the young boy had chalk in his hands. But the sport, he admitted, started off more as a hobby than as a pursuit.
“At that time, I preferred playing football,” Lee confessed.
But after a trip to the United States for climbing, Lee’s worldview expanded, and he realised that the wall was where he truly felt at home.
“Since then, I decided to focus on sport climbing.”
And he hasn’t looked back.
