Para Climbing has been proposed as a new event for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. The LA28 Organising Committee is the first ever to propose a new sport to the Paralympic program. The International Paralympic Committee's Governing Board will vote on the proposal on 26 June.
© Lena Drapella/IFSC
The Organising Committee shared on X:
"At LA28, we're thinking differently. Today, we're proud to make history by being the first organising committee to propose a new sport to the Paralympic program. We're thrilled to propose Para Climbing for potential inclusion to our 2028 Paralympic Sport Program!"
LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans added: "We would like to thank the International Paralympic Committee for giving us the opportunity to add this exciting sport in 2028. We see this as a unique chance to give more athletes the ability to compete on the world's biggest stage, while creating an expansive and elite adaptive sport program that exemplifies LA28's commitment to elevating the Paralympic Movement."
Marco Scolaris, IFSC President, commented:
"We are very excited about the announcement of LA28 and thank them for their proposal of the addition of Para Climbing to the Paralympic Sport Programme: it's a wonderful recognition of the value of our great athletes.
"We must wait now for the International Paralympic Committee's Governing Board to vote on the proposal on June 26. When we were notified by the Los Angeles Organising Committee, my first thought was for our athletes and their chance to show the world what they can do. My next was to some of our crazy visionaries who first believed in the magic of Para Climbing, together with us. I am talking about pioneers like the former Presidents of the Italian and French Federations, Ariano Amici and Pierre You. We all took our first 'crazy' step together in 2011 with Para Climbing's debut at our World Championship and we hope that the next step will be the IPC confirmation."
In January 2023, the IPC's Governing Board approved 22 sports for inclusion in the Paralympic Sport Program. In addition to approving those sports, the IPC offered LA28 the opportunity to consider adding a new Paralympic sport from a selected shortlist.
LA28 conducted a thorough evaluation process with close consultation from international federations and the IPC. The Organising Committee assessed "the global and domestic popularity, the universality at major international events as well as the cost and complexity of the shortlisted sport."
The LA28 Paralympic Games will take place 15-27 August 2028.
© Dimitris Tosidis/IFSC
Para Climbing is a popular discipline with an IFSC World Cup series plus world and continental championships.
The GB Para Climbing Team currently consists of 23 athletes competing across nine classifications. The team has been competing internationally since 2012, supporting athletes to win 25 World Championship medals to date.
GB Para Climbing team manager Zoe Spriggins commented earlier this year: "Since 2006, international para competition has really grown on the world stage. We eagerly await the outcome of inclusion in the LA 2028 Paralympics."
British Para Climbing events and resources
7 & 8 September | British Lead, Speed and Para Climbing Championships (venue TBC)
Below is a list of paraclimbing initiatives and inclusive climbing accounts to follow on Instagram in the UK via Jeantique Hommel's UKC Article linked above. This list is by no means exhaustive:
• @club.bits
• @eds_climbers
• @cam_climbing
• @climbersagainstcancerofficial
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