Chaehyun Seo is the biggest Olympic outsider

Janja Garnbret is the big favourite to win the gold in Tokyo. Based on some 2000 8a user predictions, 85 % believe Janja to win. The only threats, based on the 8a predictions, comes from Akiyo Noguchi, Miho Nonaka and Brooke Raboutou.

Chaehyon Seo, who won the Lead WC in 2019 with 480 points compared to Janja's 352, has got 0% and 1% of the gold and silver predictions, respectively.

Back in 2019, the Korean was just 15 years old and during her only international Bouldering event, she was #13 in the World Championship after having been a tied #7 after the qualification. Her big weakness back then was Speed with a PB of 10.54.

Sure, she would have been better off if she could have done some World Cups in 2021 but remember that she was 2 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 in her first five World Cups at age 15. Logically, two more years of training would mean she should be able to continue her winning strike in Lead also in Tokyo. Her only two comps in 2021 were Korea nationals where she won Lead and Bouldering. When it comes to her weak discipline Speed she has not focused on this.

In any case, it would be a big surprise if she did not make it to the Top-8 final and she should be mentioned in the first category of contenders to Janja together with Noguchi, Nonaka and Raboutou. Olympic training interview is coming up.

She onsighted her first 8a (+) at age eleven, redpointed her first 8b+ one year later and did her first 9a (8c+) being 14 years old. Last year she was #6 in the Ice World Cup after just four days of training with the axes!