Introduction

When it comes to current form, Hamish McArthur is somewhat of an unknown entity. After taking the competition climbing scene by storm by winning Bronze in the Lead on his World Championships debut - as well as seventh place in the Boulder - Hamish, for a long time, seemed unable to recapture that same form, even though he has made multiple World Cup finals since.

And yet, when it came to the Olympic Qualifying Series, Hamish seemed to have reached a whole new level. Coming back from an injury that saw him unable to compete at the beginning of the year - but forced him to examine climbing and movement in completely new ways - Hamish registered three podium finishes and a fourth place finish out of the six climbing rounds in Shanghai. With one foot in Paris, Hamish cemented his place at the games during the Budapest leg of the OQS, where he finished just outside of the final eight.

With a fresh new approach to climbing, rooted more in fun and exploration than the results that may or may not come his way, Hamish now seems to be able to tap into his ability more freely than he could before, and all without the pressure of results or expectation. An enticing prospect for those watching, potentially a dangerous one for those competing against him.

Qualification route

Olympic Qualifier Series 2024: 9th Place

Trivia

Hamish earned a place on Team GB when he was just 12 years old. Unsurprisingly, he was the youngest member of the team.

UKC prediction

10th place

Hamish qualified in 9th place in the OQS, having finished outside the top 10 in just one of the ten rounds he competed in across the Shanghai and Budapest legs. Whilst Hamish used to be known more for his lead ability, his ability in bouldering now seems equally impressive - we reckon it’ll take him just inside the top 10.