Introduction

London-born Molly Thompson-Smith started climbing at her seventh birthday party and dreamed of reaching the Olympics with the encouragement of her sporty family. From an early age, she cemented her status as a top Lead climber in the UK and internationally, earning multiple medals at junior level and winning Britain’s first female IFSC Lead World Cup medal with a bronze in Kranj in 2017. 

Molly has had more than her fair share of serious injuries, including reconstructive surgery on her A2, A3 and A4 pulleys in one finger in 2018. After making a gradual comeback to the IFSC World Cup circuit in the subsequent years, regularly finishing top-15 in Lead World Cups and placing 3rd in the European Championships in Combined - her last opportunity to qualify for Tokyo 2020 - Molly aimed towards her final chance to achieve her Olympic dream in Paris. Last September, Molly fell from the top of a boulder problem and landed hard on one ankle, breaking it and undergoing another surgery. Although she almost wrote-off her chances of even trying to qualify for Paris, Molly’s resilience and determination shone through as she adapted to the dynamic, parkour Boulder style. 

A breakthrough moment occurred in the Bern World Championships, where - despite ongoing issues with her ankle, which affects bouldering in particular - she reached semifinals in Boulder & Lead combined after performing especially well on her anti-style Boulders: a slab, and a dynamic swinging run-and-jump. Since then, Molly’s self-belief seemed to soar. Clinching the last spot, at the last time of asking, after a long and successful career is the icing on the cake for the British climber. She dedicated her Olympic qualification to her late grandmother. "I did this for you," she captioned a photo on Instagram.

Qualification route

Olympic Qualifier Series : 13th place

A 13th place in Shanghai - just on the bubble for the top-12 eligible athletes - must have given Molly extra confidence in her ability to make the cut. A more assured performance in Boulder in Budapest - including a stunning flash of a dynamic boulder in the semi-final, which seemed to shock Molly more than anyone else - and a convincing Lead climb on an unsettling, powerful route assured her a top-12 finish. After finals were complete, she was confirmed in 13th place (12th among eligible athletes).

Trivia

Molly is a keen baker and vegetable-grower.

UKC prediction

Molly has nothing to prove and her biggest obstacle has already been overcome: making a come-back and achieving her Olympic dream after a long competition career. We predict a 10th-15th place finish.