On August 3, 2016, the International Olympic Committee approved the inclusion of sport climbing as an event in the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.
Here is what is known as of August 30, 2016.
- Competitors will need to compete in three different climbing disciplines to earn a single medal: bouldering, sport (lead) climbing and speed climbing (see definitions below).
- 20 women and 20 men will compete. Their inclusion will not be based on nationality but on performance.
- The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) will determine the technical aspects of how sport climbing will be included in the Olympics.
- On March 11, 2017, at the IFSC Plenary Assembly in Quebec City, the IFSC will announce how athletes will be selected.
While we are all waiting for the final rules and procedures, what can you do now to support athletes who would like to work towards becoming an Olympic Climber? Consider adding a Speed Wall to your facility.
- The wall is either 10m or 15m tall and 3m wide per lane, overhung by 5°, t-nutted in a precise grid, and set using specific holds in a specific pattern.
- The belay system for speed climbing should be redundant—use an auto belay and a manual roped belay.
- To train, only a single climbing lane is necessary. The competition format is two lanes side by side.
Contact the Eldorado Team if you'd like to chat speed climbing wall. We can walk you through all the options.
Types of Climbing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Sport (Lead) Climbing—A climber climbs a difficult route using a variety of hand and foot holds. The climber is protected by a rope. The goal is to climb as high on the route as possible as quickly as possible.
Bouldering—A climber ascends short routes and tries to finish the route as quickly as possible. Unlike in sport climbing competitions, a boulderer can try the route multiple times. The boulderer is protected during a fall by specialized padded flooring rather than by a rope.
Speed Climbing—Climbers race the clock to climb a globally standardized wall containing a precisely set route. The climbers are belayed on a top rope.
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