USA's Nathaniel Coleman celebrates after competing in the men's sport climbing bouldering final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo on August 5, 2021. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP) (Photo by MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The coach of a Utah man who won silver at the Olympics in sport climbing is responding to his achievement.
Nathaniel Coleman, a native of Murray, won silver in the men’s combined final of sport climbing Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics, the first time the event has been included in the games.
“It’s been an amazing journey,” said Jeff Pedersen to Utah’s Morning News. “I’m one of the co-founders of Momentum Indoor Climbing here in Salt Lake City. Back in 2008, we started a youth climbing team, and Nathaniel was one of the original kids on that team. So to see him go from a kid kind of running round in the gym and having fun and climbing everything he could get his hands on, is incredible.”
Pedersen said that Coleman has worked hard for many years to get to where he is at.
“He is so determined,” he said. “And so able to keep his focus on something that he sets his sight on that he was able to work his weaker areas over the last couple of years.”
Listen to the full interview here:
Pedersen said the silver medal is the reward for all the work the Utah climber has put in.
“It’s everything for him,” he said. “Nathaniel is a great all around climber, which is what this Olympic format was all about.”
Climbing is a sport that has been around in Utah longer than some people may realize.
“The community embraced it whole-heartedly,” Pedersen said. “Climbing, in Utah in particular, spans many generations from the 1950s to 1960s and 70s.”
Visit KSLSports.com for more information about the Utah native and climber winning silver.