Hang on tight: Sports climbing scales new heights

Tokyo marks its first appearance at the Games and it kicked off a storm of online traffic and social media chatter when it made its debut on Tuesday

THE ONLY WAY IS UP: France’s Mickael Mawem competes in the men’s sport climbing bouldering final at Aomi Urban Sports Park. He actually slipped twice in a one-v-one speed race and still reached the top in 7.05 seconds. Picture: Mohd Rasfan/Getty Images

A giant Transformer looks on from the adjacent grounds of a shopping centre, the ominous strains of the Imperial March overture from Star Wars is reverberating around the arena, and two men are scrambling up a building the size of an aircraft hanger in the time it takes some of us to get up off the couch.

Welcome to sport climbing.