Every four years athletes of all sports and countries come together to compete on the biggest athletic stage in the world: The Olympic Games. And every few Olympics, new events are added to accommodate the growing field of athletes and disciplines: the Tokyo 2020 summer games being no exception. In Tokyo, rock climbing will make its Olympic debut, marking a huge step forward for the sport.
In 2020, 40 climbers (20 male, 20 female) will have the opportunity to go for gold in a climbing event--appropriately titled “Combined”--that combines the disciplines of bouldering, lead climbing, and speed climbing all into one. The climber with the highest combined score after all three rounds is victorious.
However, plans are already in progress to change this format for the Paris 2024 games, despite not knowing how Tokyo will go.
In Paris, the proposed format splits this one event into two: bouldering and lead climbing as one, and speed climbing as another.
It extends the athlete field from 40 climbers to 72 climbers, 40 (again 20 male, 20 female) for Bouldering and Lead, and an additional 32 (16m, 16f) specifically for Speed.
Many climbers are happy about these two large changes for Paris.
“I’m super happy we are still growing within the Olympic movement with more medals as well as athletes. With Speed being separated from the other two, the specialists in that discipline are sure to flourish,” Sean McColl, Canadian professional climber said on Instagram.
Although this proposed shift will provide more opportunity to compete, what 2020 will have that 2024 might not, is proof that whoever stands atop the podium wearing gold, can truly do it all.
By combining all three disciplines into one event it requires athletes to be skilled at everything, not just one speciality. It helps prove that whoever wins, is the best sport climber in the world overall, and not just the best speed climber or boulderer.
While this change in format is most likely to happen, it is in no way final. “First, Sport Climbing has to be pitched to the IOC Executive Board in late March. If all goes well there, in late June the IOC will decide whether or not to include climbing—and whether or not this new proposal will be implemented—in Paris in 2024” an article from Rock and Ice Magazine said of the proposed change.
The IOC has their work cut out for them on deciding the best way to implement climbing into The Games. And it’s important that the community continues the conversation with them in the meantime.
Regardless of the format though, the Olympics are meant to celebrate sports and the community behind them. It’ll be exciting to watch climbers for the first time in Tokyo in 2020, and exciting again to see them in Paris. But if you had to pick, which format would you choose?
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