TOKYO: Bassa Mawem was a 15-year-old living in the Alsace region of northeast France when one day a friend invited him to check out the ...
TOKYO: Bassa Mawem was a 15-year-old living in the Alsace region of northeast France when one day a friend invited him to check out the climbing wall at school.
"It's like a scientist who says 'I'll never go to the moon, it's too complicated, even if I gave it everything I have, I just wouldn't make it'. We have that chance so it's just huge."AdvertisementFor a start, the Olympics event requires climbers to master three disciplines - speed, bouldering and lead - to contend for a single gold medal.
But Bassa, a speed specialist, needed more competitions to qualify for the only other spot available to France and secured his berth in Toulouse later that year."It was a really tough year - we really needed to go until the end with it, believe until the end in it and not let go," said 36-year-old Bassa, who will be the oldest contender in Tokyo.
"In sports, we don't feel any differences with athletes ... Cultural differences yes, because we're not all the same."
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