A teenage climber from Elstead has ascended to the pantheon of Surrey’s sporting greats after taking gold at the Paris Olympics.
Toby ‘The Terminator’ Roberts beamed with shock and delight after winning the first Team GB medal in the sport on Friday.
The 19-year-old would have been happy to take silver but a slip by Japan’s Sorato Anraku in the showpiece handed him an historic triumph.
Footage of his whispered “oh my god” reaction – he wasn’t sure he finished first until confirmation from his coaches – has gone viral with the athlete calling the achievement “a dream come true” on his Instagram page.
“Me and my dad created a plan to get to this stage,” said Roberts not long after slumping to his knees in realisation of his achievement.
‘It’s been a journey, a lot of competitions, and lot of ups and downs. To finally get to this stage in front of this crowd and win a gold medal is just a dream come true.”
He added that words could not express his emotions before thanking his family and parents for “always believing in me”.
He was also gracious in victory, congratulating Anraku and bronze medal-winner Jakob Schubert.
Congratulations, Toby! More in the next edition of the Herald