Did you know Climbing is an Olympic Sport?
If you are new to the climbing scene or have been living under a rock the past year, you might not have heard… but CLIMBING IS COMING TO THE OLYMPICS! Look out world, we are about to blow your mind.
I am thrilled to see our sport showcased for the first time, and I believe it will bring some much needed awareness to climbing. Unfortunately, climbing has a bit of a stigma associated with it. People unfamiliar with the sport can believe that it is a dangerous, adrenaline-fueled activity. In reality, indoor climbing could not be further from that image. We take the movements of outdoor climbing and bring them into a controlled environment. When climbing indoors, we play on plastic routes crafted by routesetters, who keep movement and safety in mind. The Olympics will give people all over the world the opportunity to see climbing for what it is — amazing feats of strength and daring performed by disciplined athletes — rather than fear it as a reckless pursuit.
What will climbing look like in the Olympics?
In 2016 the International Olympic Committee voted to add climbing to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a showcase sport. As such, there will only be one medal to be won — but three separate disciplines of climbing will be included: speed climbing, lead climbing, and bouldering. This means that athletes must compete in all three categories, and an overall winner will receive the single gold medal.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, climbing will have two gold medals: one for speed, and the second for a combined winner of lead climbing and bouldering. The format was modified from the original Tokyo three-discipline format due to a distinct difference in the types of climbing involved.
How does someone win a gold medal?
In the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, climbers will have to compete in speed climbing, lead climbing, and bouldering all in the same day. The place in which a competitor finishes in each discipline will determine their score: a climber’s rank for each category is a multiplier. If a climber takes first place in speed climbing, third in lead, and fifth in bouldering, their final score will be 15 (1 x 3 x 5 = 15). The athlete with the lowest final score wins.
How many athletes will compete, and are there any Canadians?
There are 20 male and 20 female competitors who are scheduled to compete in the upcoming Olympics, however only the top 6 will make it to the Olympic finals. In order to best demonstrate the global climbing community, a maximum of 2 athletes per country will receive invitations to the Olympics. It is so exciting to see that Sean McColl, Canada’s leading male competition climber, secured his official spot in the first Olympic qualifier. This is a great achievement for Canadian climbing!
But is climbing fun to watch?
For non-climbers, the speed climbing competition will likely be the most interesting of the three events to watch. Climbers will be racing another competitor to the top of the wall, and the winner of the two gets to move on. This is a format that is easiest for anyone to watch and understand: two climbers are facing off head to head, and the first to the finish line wines. For people that have experience climbing and already understand the sport, I think bouldering will be the most exciting event to watch of the three. Seeing climbers figuring out hard problems on the fly and doing crazy dynamic movements is always awesome to watch.
Let's keep our Canadian fingers crossed that another Canadian is able to qualify for the Olympics! We have one more chance at the PanAm Games at the end of February!
Happy Climbing,
Kevin Allen