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NEWS: Sport Climbing Makes Tokyo 2020 Olympics

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 UKC News 03 Aug 2016
Tokyo 2020, 4 kbFollowing a vote at the 129th Session of the International Olympic Committee in Rio de Janeiro, Sport Climbing has been selected as part of a package of five new sports - alongside baseball/softball, surfing, skateboarding and karate - to be included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

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18
 jonnie3430 03 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

Looking forward to walls with speed setups now!
 LouisJones 03 Aug 2016
Shame the format is wank
4
 jonnie3430 03 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

Not clear of it is separate male/female competition, I assume so?
4
 Urban5teve 03 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

Great news for the athletes. Truly is.

May not be great news for normals when land owners start trying to charge us to climb on their property.
13
In reply to UKC News:

As it's lead, speed and boulder I might have a visit to the bookies for a bet On Janja Garnbret for gold.
 Ian W 03 Aug 2016
In reply to jonathan shepherd:

you'll have to spell the name for them......
 DanWeiss 03 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:
I don't think this is a good result at all. One athlete having to do all three disciplines? Which of the last five year's lead and boulder world cup winners is good enough in all three disciplines? The only person I can think of at the moment is Sean McColl.
Climbing will then be like football and boxing one of those sports where the best athletes will not compete in the Olympics because they will focus on more prestigious and lucrative, i.e. sponsored projects.
Becoming mainstream for mainstream's sake has never worked!
Post edited at 22:33
4
In reply to UrbanSteve:

why do you believe this may happen - just curious to your thoughts
 Misha 03 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:
I can understand why some people take part in comps but personally I have no interest in them (other than perhaps the winter bouldering league at the local wall, which is purely something to keep the motivation up, don't really care how well I do).

Indoor climbing in the Olympics is just something I can't really relate to or get interested in. If someone puts up a new route or does a significant repeat, it's something I'm interested in because even though it will obviously be way out of my league, at the end of the day it's outdoor climbing, which is something I do, and it's pushing the limit on bolts or above gear, which is also something I do now and then. So it's something I can relate to, whereas pulling on resin is just training or something fun to do when you can't climb outdoors.

I'm sure there will be great athletes taking part and good luck to them all but it's just not something I can get interested in.

The format is also bizarre, especially with speed climbing thrown in - that's just a spectator sport gimmick, even further removed from what climbing is all about for me.

I suspect I won't be the only one thinking this...

It might increase wall attendance, at least temporarily, which is not a bad thing as the walls would have more money to invest in better facilities. I doubt it would have any impact on outdoor climbing. It would also bring more money to the national climbing team - good for them.

The concern however is that the Olympics and indoor climbing generally will increasingly become the focus of the BMC - something a lot of people are concerned about judging by the reaction to the ill-advised rebranding.
 tk421 03 Aug 2016
In reply to jonathan shepherd:

Ashima might be a better bet
 treesrockice 03 Aug 2016
In reply to jonathan shepherd:

> As it's lead, speed and boulder I might have a visit to the bookies for a bet On Janja Garnbret for gold.

Who?
10
In reply to UKC News:

I quite like the fact competition climbing's made the olympics tbh. Seems like the logical progression if youre involved in that side of climbing.

However, i'm utterly bemused at how the speed climbing aspect will work.

I mean, if I was a world champion standard boulderer/sport climber.. & breezed through every round of my respective discipline.. I'd be pretty pissed off to lose, if in the end it came down to not being able to climb 'fast enough!'.

Think it just seems a bit tasteless really, after people have spent years (rightly or wrongly) trying to get climbing involved in the Olympics.. To finally say yep, come on in guys..
then add what basically looks like a cheap gimmick - simply to appeal to a mass non- climbing audience.

(Apologies if i'm wrong, or just sound like im ranting.. but this is pretty big for those ppl who follow/are involved in comp climbing, & I wanted to get my 2cents in while the subject's still actually news. .
Cheers.

JT
1
In reply to Revenge of the Path:

That's cool
In reply to Justsomeclimber:

> I quite like the fact competition climbing's made the olympics tbh. Seems like the logical progression if youre involved in that side of climbing.

> However, i'm utterly bemused at how the speed climbing aspect will work.

> I mean, if I was a world champion standard boulderer/sport climber.. & breezed through every round of my respective discipline.. I'd be pretty pissed off to lose, if in the end it came down to not being able to climb 'fast enough!'.

> Think it just seems a bit tasteless really, after people have spent years (rightly or wrongly) trying to get climbing involved in the Olympics.. To finally say yep, come on in guys..

> then add what basically looks like a cheap gimmick - simply to appeal to a mass non- climbing audience.

> (Apologies if i'm wrong, or just sound like im ranting.. but this is pretty big for those ppl who follow/are involved in comp climbing, & I wanted to get my 2cents in while the subject's still actually news. .

> Cheers.

> JT

I agree with you. Speed climbing seems like a different sport to me - not one any of us on the forum are likely to be interested in either
 jonnie3430 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Justsomeclimber:

Apparently speed climbing is amazingly popular in se Asia, so I think I understand it's inclusion, I just think it funny that our top boulderers and climbers will now be practising speed to...
 Urban5teve 04 Aug 2016
In reply to simon rawlinson:

Because mainstreaming and commercialization walk hand in hand.
1
In reply to Justsomeclimber:

Agreed that the speed round sounds gimmicky, but I don't see it as a big issue.

What grade are speed climbs usually set at? 6c? 7a?

Any pure speed climber (is there such a thing?) won't get anywhere in the boulder or lead rounds. Most top boulderers or lead climbers could soon learn to be pretty high level speed climbers, and the practice might actually on occasion add something to their other disciplines.
 Matt Vigg 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

I think it's a shame the climbing community seem to feel the need to get involved with the Olympics, it's a money making bulldozer (usually literally) that sees billions spent and often wasted. It feels appropriate that the format is stupid, "we're not interested in understanding your sport, this'll put bums on seats so shut up and get on with it".

I've got nothing against competition climbing and to whoever ends up competing I wish them lots of luck and would say well done in finding a way to climb instead of doing a proper job.
 AC93 04 Aug 2016
In reply to mountain.martin:

There is only one speed climb route. One series of official holds and a certain setting. Speed climbers have it so well drilled that they could do it with their eyes closed.
 GrahamD 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

Novelty climbing competition rather than e.g. squash. I presume they know what they're doing.
Graeme G 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:
If you need to know how laughable the olympics are please note climbing has now been included alongside skateboarding. Seriously what a joke. As someone esle said the Olympics is a commercial juggernaut sucking in every conceivable sport. Appalling result and a really sad day for climbing. Albeit inevitable.
Post edited at 08:46
5
 johncook 04 Aug 2016
In reply to tk421:

Not if her father is belaying!
 johncook 04 Aug 2016
In reply to mountain.martin:

The speed wall is a standard wall, with the holds almost in exactly the same place, same wall angle, same length etc. From climbing up a few the grade is about 6a+. And after a few ascents you know every hold and where it is so you can almost do it blindfold (the speed climbers are moving too fast to think about the route, it is all muscle memory!) and so it becomes boring. At least with boulder and lead comps the routes change for every round and every comp. Speed is the worst of all worlds and does nothing for climbing as a sport. (Apart from, perhaps, drawing in sponsors!)
 jonnie3430 04 Aug 2016
In reply to johncook:

I do wonder if getting the top folk to practise at high speed will make a difference to their climbing? Will it bring in some of the dynamism johnny Dawes talks about in his book? Interesting times, didn't expect that for British climbing...
In reply to DanWeiss:

> I don't think this is a good result at all. One athlete having to do all three disciplines?

Hopefully, this is just the foot in the door and they'll be able to add separate disciplines in future Olympics.
6
 dickie01 04 Aug 2016
In reply to AC93:

Might as well use a ladder...
 Ramblin dave 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Father Noel Furlong:

> If you need to know how laughable the olympics are please note climbing has now been included alongside skateboarding. Seriously what a joke.

I think climbing's actually a relatively sensible Olympic sport - it takes something that your average Ancient Greek would probably recognize as a useful skill and makes people compete at a highly stylized version of it. There's a more-or-less objective winning condition and it's obvious to a casual observer when someone's succeeded of failed (did they get to the top or did they fall off) and why it's hard (it's steep, the holds are small, they had to stick their foot up by their ear and then hang from it). It's actually a more natural choice for the Olympics than a lot of established sports IMO.

The three part format, on the other hand, is daft.
 johncook 04 Aug 2016
In reply to jonnie3430:

Maybe if enough people practiced speed climbing it might shorten the queues at some popular crags? There is a positive side to everything!
 dickie01 04 Aug 2016
In reply to johncook:

A bit of speed racking up and speed setting up belays for seconds wouldn't go amiss.
In reply to johncook:

Thanks for the explanation John. I wasn't aware the route was always the same.

Seems to be a lot of miserable buggers on here, at worst I feel neutral about this, but on balance I think it is a good thing. I can understand why they put speed climbing in and that it could have a more obvious visual appeal to some spectators.

I can't see what people are really objecting to unless they think popularising climbing is a bad thing.

I say this as a 50 something year old trad climber who does very little bouldering or sport and has never even seen a speed climbing wall.

 RockSteady 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

I see this is as a good thing - more money into the sport = better indoor training facilities, better knowledge of training for improvement, better knowledge among sports injuries practitioners on how to fix us when we overdo it.

Not sure more climbers into comps necessarily means more on the crags. And anyway, given the standard of comp climbers, it's likely if they do hit the crags they will be cranking on harder routes than I will anyway, so won't affect me or many others who post on here, I shouldn't think.

 Ramblin dave 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Misha:

> The concern however is that the Olympics and indoor climbing generally will increasingly become the focus of the BMC - something a lot of people are concerned about judging by the reaction to the ill-advised rebranding.

I'm not actually worried that that will happen, but I do think that the BMC need to be very careful about it being perceived to be happening. It fits in too neatly with people's preconceived ideas about how the world is going to hell in a handcart because of indoor bouldering and sponsored heroes and convenience climbing and political correctness and modern wall-bred climbers and gear adverts and competitions and glossy magazines and no-one climbing gnarly trad any more, and if people have got preconceived ideas like that then they aren't always going to go and check the facts before getting angry.
 Erik B 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News: first Climb Britain re-brand, now this announcement. It all becomes clear. I hope some of the money and pr from the Team GB pot finds its way to Mountaineering Scotland. Or maybe it will need to re-brand itself to 'Climb Britain - Scotland Regional Branch'
2
 Chris the Tall 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Erik B:

Do you think Scotland will still be part of Team GB in 2020 ?
 mattrm 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

For all those worrying that the crags will be over-run with beginners, I wouldn't worry too much. Canoeing, which is a fairly similar kind of sport, probably attracting similar folk, has only seen an increase of 10,500 from 2005 to 2015 [`1]. I suspect that many of those people will only go to indoor walls, so from that point of

When you get down to it for most people, climbing is seen as incredibly dangerous. We all know that it's not, but you can still seriously hurt yourself if you make a simple mistake. I know plenty of people who only climb indoors for that reason. When I've suggested that I take them climbing outdoors, I've never yet got anyone to come along with me.

As others have said, the format isn't great. Personally I don't find watching climbing comps at all fun. Speed climbing is the worst. Why it's not just bouldering and lead separately, I do not know.

The Olympics is great for large businesses who use it as a sponsorship opportunity. It's also good for athletes such as say Mo Farah or Chris Hoy, who've got a level of sponsorship which they otherwise not get. However if you're a bit lower down the pecking order don't expect much/anything from it. For the vast majority of Olympic athletes, they don't see the amount of money that the IOC officials do (or indeed really any money) but the IOC get loads.. Also as an athlete your sponsors can't can't mention that you're in the Olympics if they're not sponsors.

If the BMC (I'm not calling it C****b B***** ever) does end up focusing on the Olympics at the expense of the other good work that they do then that would be a big negative in my book. Lets hope that doesn't happen.

So all the 'positives', are probably not going to make that much of a difference. It's probably not going to do much for already sponsored climbers, we're probably not going to see lots more participation (outdoors). And it'll probably make walls a bit more crowded. Then there's the BMC rebrand as well, which isn't really a positive (probably not the end of the world tho).

Finally personally for me, climbing isn't a sport per se. Certainly not in the way of other sports like Athletics, Football, Rugby, Cricket, Squash and the like where there is a clear winner. It's about taking part, spending time with friends, being outdoors and overcoming a challenge. Further commercialising and popularising what isn't a sport in the traditional sense, just feels wrong to me. I'm all for more people climbing, but getting climbing into the Olympics isn't the way to go about that. It's probably not going to cause masses of damage, but it's probably not going to that positive either.

As for Skateboarding being an Olympic sport? I can hear the 16 year old me ranting already... It's totally the wrong sport for the Olympics. All about the money there and it stinks.

[1] - https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2015/jul/05/olympic-legacy-failur...
1
 1poundSOCKS 04 Aug 2016
In reply to mattrm:

> When you get down to it for most people, climbing is seen as incredibly dangerous.

Yes, I was like that, terrified top-roping at Leeds Wall back in 2010. A percentage of people, however small, that start climbing indoors will migrate outdoors don't you think?

> When I've suggested that I take them climbing outdoors, I've never yet got anyone to come along with me.

Well I have, and so have others I know.
 jonnie3430 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Paul Phillips - UKC and UKH:

> Hopefully, this is just the foot in the door and they'll be able to add separate disciplines in future Olympics.

Like what?

Would love to see three pebble slab onsight speed climbing.

And Scottish winter onsight "windspeed must be constant 40 mph from back left, snow flakes of 5mm diameter falling at a rate of 60mm an hour and ice and turf must start at minus 20, but warming a rate of one degree per minute, penalties for digging turf out apply."
2
 Xharlie 04 Aug 2016
In reply to RockSteady:

Better indoor training facilities: so every wall that wants to remain relevant with the new generation of olympic-inspired climbers will now dedicate prime overhanging real-estate to the same, unchanging speed route? Progress.

I thought the speed route changed between events but was the same for all climbers. Now that I know it's also the same for every event, I'm even LESS interested in speed.
 mattrm 04 Aug 2016
In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

> Yes, I was like that, terrified top-roping at Leeds Wall back in 2010. A percentage of people, however small, that start climbing indoors will migrate outdoors don't you think?

Oh yes, I'm sure they will. But just looking at canoeing, they've had an extra 10k participants. Lets assume that climbing will be similar. I suspect most of them will climb indoors and not many will take the leap to climbing indoors. So we probably not going so see more than a few thousand extra climbers outdoors due to the Olympics. So it's probably not going to be the end of the world.

> Well I have, and so have others I know.

I'm sure it does happen.

I guess I tell a slight porky there, one mate came bouldering with me a few times. But I've asked a number of work colleagues who all climb indoors, to come climbing outdoors and they think I'm nuts for doing it. I wouldn't say it never happens at all and I'm being anecdotal there. But there are a sizeable number of climbers (again based on anecdotal accounts) who never leave the climbing wall.

 Babika 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

Not impressed by the photo in the article - 14 elderly men in suits.
If this is who makes decisions in international sport its not very representative.
 Graham Booth 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Paul Phillips - UKC and UKH:

Why would he want to make climbing more popular for gods sake???

Utterly tedious as a spectator sport and I'm guessing this is what the BMC sold its soul for....
1
 1poundSOCKS 04 Aug 2016
In reply to mattrm:

> But just looking at canoeing

Why?

> Lets assume that climbing will be similar.

Why?

> So it's probably not going to be the end of the world.

Who said it was?
 Ramblin dave 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Graham Booth:

> Utterly tedious as a spectator sport

I don't really understand this attitude. I mean, I can imagine how someone might find it tedious to watch me fiddling with a nut on some poxy HS for about ten minutes, and I can understand how you'd rather be outdoors climbing than indoors watching climbing, but as spectator sports go, competition climbing always seems pretty watchable - it's tense, it's varied, it's obvious why it's hard, it's obvious when someone's failed, it seems to move along fairly quickly...
1
 Graham Booth 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Ramblin dave: really?? Tense??
Bouldering is ok but god it's slow

Horses for courses I guess
1
 Misha 04 Aug 2016
In reply to AC93:
That's even further away from what we know as climbing, which normally involves onsighting at some point (as well as redpointing)...

> There is only one speed climb route. One series of official holds and a certain setting. Speed climbers have it so well drilled that they could do it with their eyes closed.

 Misha 04 Aug 2016
In reply to mattrm:
You're spot on that it won't have much impact on outdoor climbing. There was something in the news recently that there is and never has been any Olympic legacy, it just doesn't increase participation in the medium to long term. Climbing is fairly niche anyway and as you say most of the limited additional participation will be indoors.
1
 Andy Syme 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger) Its political but Speed, Lead & Boulder just fit so nicely with the IOC motto! (and speed is popular elsewhere even if not in UK. )
 Derry 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

I like the logo
 johnmctighe 04 Aug 2016
"Speed Climbing" - Isn't that what Heinrich Harrer and the other 3 lads were doing on the 1st Eiger Ascent?
In that case I fancy the Russian Guy. (bonus pun)
 Ben1983 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

I think this is a good thing, and I like the format. It separates the Olympics from the other climbing competitions, introduces different climbing cultures to each other, and - a point that has been made elsewhere - means that it can get a foot in the door. Expect climbing to bid for an expansion of medals after a couple of Olympics. Who wins will be interesting, in part because at present some top climbers don't compete on plastic very often - Ondra for example - and will require someone to have power, endurance, and speed, three things that are difficult to train in tandem.

Re. Speed climbing. First, it is very popular in other parts of the world, as has been pointed out already; in those places it is a critical part of the climbing culture - just because it isn't a part of the UKs doesn't make it illegitimate. Second, speed has been a part of European and American climbing cultures since at least the 1890s and the then controversial speed records in the Dolomites. What does NIAD stand for? Why is Ueli Steck famous? Speed climbing is just the logical reduction of that to competition. Finally, climbers who aren't used to speed climbing might find it boring to watch - but for everyone else (so what, over 99.9% of the world's population?) it is surely likely to be the most popular of the three. It is an actual race with a clear, non-confusing way of deciding the winner, and it happens fast. The 100m attracts more interest than the more technically demanding but slower steeplechase, or hurdles.



2
 Andy Say 04 Aug 2016
In reply to jonathan shepherd:

> As it's lead, speed and boulder I might have a visit to the bookies for a bet On Janja Garnbret for gold.

Ouch. Lead, Speed AND Boulder for one medal is going to be quite demanding.
 Andy Say 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Misha:

> I can understand why some people take part in comps but personally I have no interest in them (other than perhaps the winter bouldering league at the local wall, which is purely something to keep the motivation up, don't really care how well I do).

I would have completely agreed. And still would agree for myself! But after having watched the Arco Rockmasters for the last two years (my lad likes Arco ) I would say that it can be really gripping viewing.

 Andy Say 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Graham Booth:

> really?? Tense??

> Bouldering is ok but god it's slow

> Horses for courses I guess

Oh noooo! Check out some of the vids in -http://www.rockmasterfestival.com/2016/en/

It is actually pretty fast moving and enthralling.
In reply to UrbanSteve:

mmm yes I agree with that statement, I'm just struggling to see how this will affect our access to recreational climbing from a cost point of view, but the proof will come in time I guess.
1
 Michael Gordon 04 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

I actually think combining lead and boulder is not a bad idea and it will force some top competition climbers to be less specialist. Speed climbing on the other hand is simply a gimmick and should not feature.
1
 Ian W 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Michael Gordon:

The BMC youth climbing series combines lead and bouldering for that very reason; not to force specialisation for kids starting out. Going to be interesting!
1
 snoop6060 04 Aug 2016
In reply to Ian W:

It won't last long before getting binned. Indoor climbing, especially lead, is incredibly boring to watch. Even as a climber.
Combine that with the bullshit format where the world's best climbers in any of the 3 disciplines probably won't stand a chance so might not even bother.
In reply to Graham Booth:
> Utterly tedious as a spectator sport and I'm guessing this is what the BMC sold its soul for....

I agree for Sport climbing but I really enjoy watching the Bouldering World Cup rounds! I don't care much for speed climbing but that maybe more appealing for someone that doesn't climb to watch.
Post edited at 10:01
 jtjenkins 08 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

Exciting times! I wonder whether a climber had anything to do with deciding on the format. Speed is so vastly different to both lead and boulder. Great that a wider audience will get to watch and maybe serve to introduce people to the sport. Great for climbing!
 jtjenkins 08 Aug 2016
In reply to Andy Say:

I completely agree with you some of the most exciting action is in bouldering!
> Oh noooo! Check out some of the vids in -http://www.rockmasterfestival.com/2016/en/

> It is actually pretty fast moving and enthralling.

Graeme G 08 Aug 2016
In reply to Andy Say:

> Oh noooo! Check out some of the vids in -http://www.rockmasterfestival.com/2016/en/

> It is actually pretty fast moving and enthralling.

Each to their own. Did nothing for me. In fact more boring than watching Coldplay live.
1
 nutme 08 Aug 2016
Suppose a lot of UKClimbers are upset because speed is so against everything we do in trad ascents. I would suggest to find a good sport route with no danger off decking when falling and try to compete against your mates. Or even an uto belay in gym. It's a lot of fun

Speed was a part of competition from the very begging. It was one of two original disciplines:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IFSC_Climbing_World_Championships#Championshi...
 jtjenkins 08 Aug 2016
In reply to Father Noel Furlong:
Are you sure your a climbing fan?
> Each to their own. Did nothing for me. In fact more boring than watching Coldplay live.
In reply to Andy Say:
> Oh noooo! Check out some of the vids in -http://www.rockmasterfestival.com/2016/en/
> It is actually pretty fast moving and enthralling.
 Xharlie 08 Aug 2016
In reply to nutme:
If people want to speed-climb, that's fine. Personally, I don't, but I don't mind others doing it and I even enjoy watching it for a bit.

The combined format, however, is pants.

The results will almost certainly be thus:

Bouldering: Boulderers excel. Sport climbers do alright. Speed climbers can't do the first move because they only know one sequence.
Lead: Sport climbers excel. Boulderers do alright. Speed climbers can't complete a single crux because it's not part of the one sequence they know.
Speed: Speed climbers excel. Boulderers and sport climbers do alright but can't even come close to the times of the speed climbers.

Speed is about speed. Pure muscle-memory. Sport and bouldering are about balance, body tension, strength, problem solving... so much more than just muscle-memory. There's absolutely no way the combined format makes sense.

Sure, there are one or two all-rounders in this world but they're typically not that fast or not that strong. There's nobody who can claim to take podium positions in all three disciplines.

EDIT: If it was one medal per discipline or even one for sport and bouldering and one for speed, I think people would be ok with that. I also think the speed event would be populated purely with dedicated speed climbers - probably from the countries where Speed is a Thing - and the Big Names wouldn't bother.
Post edited at 14:37
Graeme G 08 Aug 2016
In reply to jtjenkins:

> Are you sure your a climbing fan?

That's not climbing. That's two guys doing vertical gymnastics in a gym (i watched the side by side speed climbing up a wall video).

It resembles absolutely nothing about climbing i find interesting, challengin or inspirational. I don't doubt their ability. I just have absolutely no idea why you would want to watch something like that. Even worse - pay to watch, which i'm assuming spectators do?

1
 ericinbristol 08 Aug 2016
In reply to UKC News:

I'd be psyched about speed climbing in the Olympics if the route was the North Face of the Eiger 1938 route.
 jtjenkins 08 Aug 2016
In reply to Father Noel Furlong:

Speed still has a skill element and a place within sport climbing, it's a completely different discipline to outdoor crag climbing I agree. I also agree it is different to indoor lead and bouldering. However there is no way it is not climbing, it is very dynamic and as with all climbing a large gymnastic element. You are definitely entitled to your own opinion and I apologise if I cause offense with my earlier comment it was meant in jest.
Graeme G 08 Aug 2016
In reply to jtjenkins:

No offense taken. So no apology needed.
 Climber_Bill 08 Aug 2016
In reply to Xharlie:

I wonder what the speed climbing competitors think about the combined format.

As you say, the speed climbers may struggle at the bouldering and lead components and may not even qualify.

If each event had it's own medal, that would be great. However, my concern is that the IOC decide in their wisdom that only one climbing event should be included in the Olympics. With its easy to quantify and measure format and quick turnover of competitors, the IOC may think that speed climbing is the preferred choice.

Who knows. For 2020, it will be interesting to see what actually happens.
michael90cr 16 Aug 2016
In reply to 1poundSOCKS:
> Yes, I was like that, terrified top-roping at Leeds Wall back in 2010. A percentage of people, however small, that start climbing indoors will migrate outdoors don't you think?

I can attest to this, I have climbed for over 3 years indoors and almost that entire time I've spent instructing as well as personal climbing. It wasn't until about 2-3months ago I'd even consider going trad climbing (I've never had an aversion to sport outdoor but the roaches and windgather are the main local crags, and nut placements never sounded or felt safe) and now I'm set up and have the gear I'm strugling to organise a day to go out on, and have yet to use any of my trad gear except some quickdraws and slings which I've used for leading indoors and setting up Abseils
Post edited at 22:11

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