Young, Gifted, & Black Rock Climber

From the Undefeated -

Kai Lightner, 17, aims to be the best rock climber in the country
One of the few blacks at the top of the sport, he’s shooting for the Tokyo Olympics
BY PAUL WACHTER

Kai Lightner looks up at the climbing wall in – while participating in the USA Climbing
Courtesy of USA Climbing

In March, Lightner, now 17, stood in front of another climbing wall inside Denver’s Movement Climbing and Fitness gym. He was one of 69 men competing in U.S.A. Climbing’s Sport & Speed Open National Championships, and, despite his age, he arguably was the favorite. Two years ago, when he first entered the competition as a 15-year-old, he won. And last year he finished second.

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But being the best male climber in the country isn’t Lightner’s only goal. After graduating from high school this spring, he’ll take a year off before college to expand his international competition schedule and tackle difficult outdoor routes. There’s also the Olympics. “Tokyo in 2020 will be the first time that climbing will be in the Olympics,” Lightner said. “There will only be one male climber and one female climber from the United States, and I’ll be training for that.”

https://theundefeated.com/features/kai-lightner-17-aims-to-be-the-best-rock-climber-in-the-country/