After watching all the s in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, many climbers wondered about IOC’s 2007 decision to monitor climbing as the first step to full inclusion in the Olympics.
In Vancouver, during a plenary session, it was announced that after provisional IOC recognition in 2007, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) has passed the two-year “observation period”. This according to the Italian website Planet Mountain and The Adventure Blog.
The IOC had already announced at their final meeting before the Vancouver Olympics they had granted “full recognition” to the IFSC as the governing body for sport climbing and the primary sponsor for the consideration process.
So what kind of climbing might we see? The IFSC recognizes International competition climbing and includes three disciplines, all indoor to eliminate variations in climbing surfaces due to natural terrain:
- a) Lead: Routes are climbed on lead, with the competitor belayed from below, each quickdraw is clipped sequentially and the longest distance along the line of the route determines a competitor’s ranking.
- b) Bouldering: A number of individual, short, technical routes (boulders) are attempted without a climbing rope but with landing mats for protection. The aggregate number of points achieved by a competitor and the number of attempts to achieve these points, determine the competitor’s ranking.
- c) Speed: Routes are attempted on top-rope, with the competitor belayed from below. The time achieved by the competitor in completing a route determines a competitor’s ranking.
When will it be in the Olympics? The IOC moves at glacial speed and said they will review sport climbing in 2013 for inclusion in the 2020 games! This means the climbers in their prime today need to keep up their game if they want to compete.
The IFSC ranks climbers in all their disciplines. 17 year-old Czech Adam Ondra holds the men’s top raking for lead climbing and the women’s lead is held by Austrian Johanna Ernst also age 17.
ISFC President, Marco Scolaris, said the sport needs to hold successful events and have more media coverage to educate the public.
Of course, climbing is a sport of agility and strength thus drugs will come into focus. Apparently this is already a concern when the President commented that “some top climbers have had some additional nuisances with anti-doping checks throughout the year, as imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency…”
The next milestones will occur during the World Championships, Arco 2011 and Paris 2013. Olympic officials will be watching to see if that “Olympic spirit” is present.
In June the ISFC will hold the Bouldering World Cup event at the 2010 Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado.
I hope the Olympic effort is successful and maybe one day ice climbing is also added. But that could be difficult given the desire to eliminate natural variations on the surface.
Climb On!
Alan
