From Pan Ams to Paris, 2 Canadian Olympians face separate challenges in similar ways

Aug. 5, 2024, 10 a.m. local time.

The date is plastered in Sean McColl's mind — it marks the beginning of the sport climbing competition at the Paris Olympics.

Just one issue: McColl still needs to qualify.

The 36-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., nearly got it done at the Pan American Games last month in Santiago, Chile. But just as he was leading the competition through the bouldering round, he fell and cracked a rib.

"I can't say whether I would have qualified or not," McColl, who wound up fourth, told CBC Sports in a recent interview. "I was more just happy that I could compete. It would have really frustrated me if they said 'you can't climb your route' because one of my biggest things is there was one route that was separating me from my second Olympics.

"And I live for those moments."

Help shape the future of CBC article pages by taking a quick survey.

McColl's life work was getting climbing added to the Olympic program — something that occurred, finally, at Tokyo 2020, where he placed 17th.

He'll climb for the right to be called a two-time Olympian at qualifiers next spring.

WATCH | Thibeault wins Pan Am Games gold:

Tammara Thibeault went into the Pan Am Games with two distinct goals: qualify for the Olympics and win gold.

Four years earlier, she was denied her shot at a championship in Lima when she lost her semifinal bout to Colombia's Jessica Caicedo. Caicedo was later stripped of her eventual gold medal for doping.

So Thibeault, the 26-year-old from Shawinigan, Que., sought redemption. She easily reached the final of her 75-kilogram weight class — enough to book her ticket to Paris.

Make that four.

"Now that I've done that, I feel super grateful and just relieved that now my sole purpose and my focus