Sport climbing at the 2020 Summer Olympics

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Competition climbing
at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad
Sport Climbing, Tokyo 2020.svg
VenueAomi Urban Sports Park, Tokyo
Dates3–6 August 2021
No. of events2
Competitors40 from 19 nations
2024  

Competition climbing made its Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan [1] (postponed to 2021 [2] due to the COVID-19 pandemic ). Two events were held, one each for men and women. The format controversially consisted of one combined event with three disciplines: lead climbing, speed climbing and bouldering. The medals were determined based on best performance across all three disciplines. This format was previously tested at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics. The Olympic code for sports climbing is CLB.

Two qualification boulders were leaked on YouTube; the video was quickly taken down and the boulders were reset. [3]

Format

On August 3, 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally announced that competition climbing would be a medal sport in the 2020 Summer Olympics. [1] [4] The inclusion was proposed by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) in 2015. [5]

The decision to combine three disciplines of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing with one set of medals per sex caused widespread criticism in the climbing world. [6]

Climber Lynn Hill said the decision to include speed climbing was like "asking a middle-distance runner to compete in the sprint." Czech climber Adam Ondra, who later competed as a finalist at the Olympics, voiced similar sentiments in an interview stating that anything would be better than this combination. There is some overlap between athletes in the categories of lead climbing and bouldering, but speed climbing is usually seen as a separate discipline which is practiced by specialized athletes. Climber Shauna Coxsey stated, "No boulderer has transitioned to speed and lead, and no speed climber has done it to bouldering and lead." [6] [7]

Members of the IFSC explained that they were only granted one gold medal per gender by the Olympic committee and they did not want to exclude speed climbing. The IFSC's goal for the 2020 Olympics was primarily to establish climbing and its three disciplines as Olympic sports; changes to the format could follow later. This tactic proved to be successful as they were granted a second set of medals for the 2024 Summer Olympics, where speed climbing will be a separate event from the combined event of lead climbing and bouldering. [6] [8] [9]

The final rankings were calculated by multiplying the climbers' rankings in each discipline, with the best score being the lowest one. [10] [11]

Qualification

There were 40 quota spots available for competition climbing. Each National Olympic Committee could obtain a maximum of 2 spots in each event (total 4 maximum across the 2 events). Each event had 20 competitors qualify: 18 from qualification, 1 from the host (Japan), and 1 from Tripartite Commission invitations. [12]

The 2019 IFSC Climbing World Championships served as one qualification event with 7 spots per gender being awarded to the top finishers of the combined event. [13] [14]

Schedule

The schedule for the events was as follows. [15] [16]

DateAug 3Aug 4Aug 5Aug 6
Men's S Qualification: Speed climbingB Qualification: BoulderingL Qualification: Lead climbingS Finals: Speed climbingB Finals: BoulderingL Finals: Lead climbing
Women's S Qualification: Speed climbingB Qualification: BoulderingL Qualification: Lead climbingS Finals: Speed climbingB Finals: BoulderingL Finals: Lead climbing
S = Speed, B = Bouldering, L = Lead
QQualificationFFinals

Participating nations

40 climbers from 19 nations qualified. Qualification events included the 2019 IFSC Climbing World Championships, Olympic Qualifying Event, and continental championships.

Medal summary

Medal table

  *   Host nation (Japan)

RankNOCGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 1001
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 1001
3Flag of Japan.svg  Japan*0112
4Flag of the United States.svg  United States 0101
5Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 0011
Totals (5 entries)2226

Medalists

EventGoldSilverBronze
Men's combined
details
Alberto Ginés López
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
Nathaniel Coleman
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Jakob Schubert
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
Women's combined
details
Janja Garnbret
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
Miho Nonaka
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Akiyo Noguchi
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan

Records broken

EventRoundClimberNationTimeDateRecord
Men's combined (speed)Qualification Bassa Mawem Flag of France.svg  France 5.453 August OR [17]
Women's combined (speed)Qualification Aleksandra Mirosław Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 6.974 August OR [18]
Final Aleksandra Mirosław Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 6.846 August WR [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Competition climbing</span> Competitive rock climbing

Competition climbing is a form of regulated rock climbing competition held indoors on purpose-built artificial climbing walls, with earlier versions held on external natural rock surfaces. The three competition climbing disciplines are lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing. The result of multiple disciplines can be used in a "combined" format to determine an all-round winner. Competition climbing is sometimes also called "sport climbing", which is the name given to pre-bolted lead climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speed climbing</span> Type of climbing

Speed climbing is a climbing discipline in which speed is the ultimate goal. Speed climbing is done on rocks, walls and poles and is only recommended for highly skilled and experienced climbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Federation of Sport Climbing</span> Govering body for competition climbing

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is the international governing body for the sport of competition climbing, which consists of the disciplines lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing.

The IFSC Climbing World Championships are the biennial world championship event for competition climbing that is organized by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). This event determines the male and female world champions in the three disciplines of sport climbing: lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing. Since 2012, a Combined ranking is also determined, for climbers competing in all disciplines, and additional medals are awarded based on that ranking. The first event was organized in Frankfurt in 1991.

USA Climbing is the national governing body of the sport of competition climbing in the United States. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, they promote Sport Climbing which comprises three competition disciplines: bouldering, lead climbing, and speed climbing, in elite, youth and collegiate formats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akiyo Noguchi</span> Japanese climber

Akiyo Noguchi is a Japanese professional rock climber, sport climber and boulderer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Pilz</span> Austrian rock climber

Jessica Pilz is an Austrian professional rock climber who specializes in competition climbing. She won the 2018 IFSC Climbing World Championships for competition lead climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport climbing at the Summer Olympics</span> Competition climbing event

Competition climbing made its Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. The Olympics was originally scheduled to be held in 2020, but was postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic. It is governed by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miho Nonaka</span> Japanese rock climber

Miho Nonaka is a Japanese competition boulderer. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Women's combined, winning a silver medal.

There were 40 quota spots available for sport climbing at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) could obtain a maximum of 2 spots in each event. Each event had 20 competitors qualify: 18 from qualifying, 1 from the host (Japan), and 1 from Tripartite Commission invitations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iuliia Kaplina</span> Russian sport climber

Iuliia Vladimirovna Kaplina is a Russian sport climber who has won multiple speed climbing events and set multiple world records. She was the world record holder in women's speed climbing until 6 August 2021, setting the record at the 2020 European Championships in Moscow (6.964).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 IFSC Climbing World Championships</span>

The 2019 IFSC Climbing World Championships, the 16th edition, were held in Hachioji, Japan from 11 to 21 August 2019. The championships consisted of lead, speed, bouldering, and combined events. The paraclimbing event was held separately from 16 to 17 July in Briançon, France. The combined event also served as an Olympic qualifying event for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ludovico Fossali</span> Italian speed climber

Ludovico Fossali is an Italian competition speed climber. He competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Men's combined climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleksandra Mirosław</span> Polish speed climber

Aleksandra Mirosław is a Polish competition speed climber and a two-time women's speed world champion as well as the current women's competition speed climbing world record holder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ai Mori</span> Japanese rock climber (born 2003)

Ai Mori is a Japanese professional rock climber who specializes in competition climbing and the disciplines of competition lead climbing and competition bouldering. At the 2019 IFSC Climbing World Championships, she became the youngest Japanese athlete to finish in a podium place in the competition, third in lead. She has won Japan Cup titles in both bouldering and lead disciplines and has multiple IFSC Climbing World Cup podium finishes, including three gold medals in World Cup events in the 2022 season. At the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships, Mori won the gold medal in lead, becoming the first Japanese athlete to win a World Championships lead title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport climbing at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's combined</span> Mens combined events at the Olympics

The men's combined event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was a climbing competition combining three disciplines. It was held from August 3 to August 5, 2021 at the Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo. A total of 20 athletes from 15 nations competed. Sport climbing was one of four new sports added to the Olympic program for 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport climbing at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's combined</span> Womens combined events at the Olympics

The women's combined event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was a climbing competition combining three disciplines. It took place between 4 and 6 August 2021 at the Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo. 20 athletes from 15 nations competed. Sport climbing was one of four new sports added to the Olympic program for 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 IFSC Climbing European Championships</span> Climbing championships

The 2020 IFSC Climbing European Championships, the 13th edition, were held in Moscow, Russia from 20 to 28 November 2020. The championships consisted of lead, speed, bouldering, and combined events. The winners of the last event will automatically qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, where climbing will make its debut.

The 2019 IFSC Combined Qualifier was an Olympic Qualifying Event. It was held from 28 November to 1 December 2019 in Toulouse, France. It was organized by the French Federation of Sport Climbing and Mountaineering or FFME. The athletes competed in combined format of three disciplines: speed, bouldering, and lead, simulating the 2020 Olympics format. Six athletes per gender would qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics through this event. The winner for men was Kokoro Fujii and for women was Futaba Ito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport climbing at the 2024 Summer Olympics</span> Sport climbing events at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Competition climbing at the 2024 Summer Olympics is scheduled to run from 5 to 10 August at Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue in Saint-Denis, returning to the program for the second time since the sport's official debut three years earlier in Tokyo 2020. The total number of medal events will double from two in the previous edition, separating the boulder-and-lead tandem from the speed format. Furthermore, Paris 2024 will witness a significant rise in the number of sport climbers competing contrary to Tokyo 2020, expanding the roster size from 40 to 68.

References

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