Competing as the 19th Olympic seed, Campbell was the second climber to tackle the challenges of the competition.

With a world ranking of 52, he entered the semi-finals with determination and a clear focus. However, Campbell encountered mixed results across the four problems.

His total score for the semi-final round was 9.4 out of a possible 25. This score reflects the high level of difficulty presented by the problems and Campbell's ability to persevere through challenging situations.

"Qualifying was so hard and getting through everything to be here was really tough. It was just not my day," Campbell admitted.

The Men's Boulder & Lead competition is a rigorous test of strength, technique, and endurance. Climbers face four distinct problems, also referred to as boulders, each designed to push their physical and mental limits.

Each boulder is worth a maximum of 25 points. Campbell’s performance across these highlighted his resilience and skill (1: 0.0, 2: 4.4, 3 0.0, 4: 5.0).

The structure of the competition is intense, with climbers spending five minutes on each problem, followed by a five-minute recovery period before moving on to the next challenge. 

The cycle repeats four times, making the total competition time 20 minutes. This format tests not only the climber’s physical capabilities but also their mental stamina and strategic planning.

Despite the ups and downs of his performance in the semifinals, Campbell remains confident and looks ahead to the next stage of competition, the Lead portion.

"It's pretty crazy. This morning, when I woke up, I was kind of emotional. I thought ‘oh, I guess I'm an Olympian now’. So that's kind of wild. At the end of the day, that was the big goal."

With the sport part of the Games program for only the second time, Campbell hopes to inspire new audiences to tune in and watch Sport Climbing.

"It's really something, it's like nothing you've seen before, probably, unless you've watched climbing before," he explained.

"The way people use their bodies in so many different ways. All athletes have these different strengths that they all put to the test on the wall.

“When you see someone unlock a boulder or unlock a sequence for the first time, it can just be so exciting and there's a lot of tension that can be held within the rounds which is really cool."

The next Aussie in action is Oceania Mackenzie for the Women’s Boulder & Lead competition tomorrow at 6:00 pm AEST. 

Campbell will continue his semi-final efforts when the men return to the wall for lead climbing on Wednesday at 6:00 pm AEST.

Sarah Dyce