Nerves once were Alberto Ginés Lopéz’s biggest obstacle on the climbing wall. Didn’t matter if he was in the finals or well down the standings, the fear of climbing in front of other people left him locked up.

The Spanish teenager not only overcame those jitters, but he also conquered the world’s best climbers on the sport’s biggest stage.

At ease in front of a worldwide audience, Ginés Lopéz won the first Olympic gold medal in sport climbing, riding a victory in the speed discipline to the top of the podium Thursday at the Tokyo Games.

“My head hasn’t worked so well to start the season, but I was working with a specialist, and I think now it’s working better,” Ginés Lopéz said.

That’s an understatement.