How to qualify for sport climbing (speed) at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained
With a brand new sport climbing competition format in place for Paris 2024, the speed event is expected to be a thrilling competition with new Olympic champions crowned. But before anyone makes it to the next edition of the Games, athletes will need to climb their way to Olympic qualification.
The format of sport climbing for Paris 2024 has completely changed since its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. While there was one set of medals per gender on offer at Tokyo 2020, there will be two in Paris. Instead of competing in a single event that combines boulder, lead and speed, athletes will battle for glory in two events: speed; and boulder and lead combined - with a gold medal on offer in each event.
With the current Olympic champions Alberto Gines (Spain) and Janja Garnbret (Slovenia) being specialists in boulder and lead respectively, the speed event is expected to crown new Olympic champions at Paris 2024.
The format change will lead to a more open competition, with more athletes aiming for the top of the podium. But before they take to the Olympic stage, athletes will need to qualify for Paris 2024 through new qualification systems.
Keep reading to find out the answers to the main questions about the speed qualification process for Paris 2024.
How many athletes will compete in speed at Paris 2024?
A total of 14 athletes per gender will compete in the speed event at Paris 2024, with a maximum of four quotas (two men and two women) available to each NOC. Quotas are allocated to each qualified athlete's name, as opposed to their NOC, as is the case in some other sports.
One quota per gender will be given to host country France, with another quota per gender available through Universality places. Over the next two years there will be 26 spots available to specialists in speed.
To be eligible to qualify, climbers must be born on or before 1 January 2008.
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What is the qualification pathway to Paris 2024?
Apart from the quotas secured for the host NOC (one for men and one for women) and the Universality places (one for men and one for women), there are three ways to qualify in the speed discipline: the World Championship 2023, the Continental Qualifiers in 2023 and the Olympic Qualifier Series* in 2024.
IFSC Climbing World Championship (Speed) - Bern (SUI), August 2023 - four quotas
The two highest placed climbers per gender at the World Championship in 2023 will obtain one quota place each, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC.
IFSC Continental Qualifiers (Speed) - Sept-Dec 2023 - 10 quotas
The highest placed athlete per gender at each Continental Qualifier will secure one quota place, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC. In the case that the winner of any of the Continental Qualifiers has obtained already a quota place in the World Championship in 2023, the quota place will be allocated to the next highest placed eligible climber not yet qualified at the same Continental Qualifier.
The Continental Qualifiers are:
- African Qualifier - Location TBD, 14-17 December 2023
- Asian Qualifier - Jakarta (INA), 9-12 November 2023
- European Qualifier - Location TBD (ITA), 15-16 September 2023
- Oceanian Qualifier - Location TBD, 23-26 November 2023
- Pan American Qualifier - PanAmerican Games, Santiago (CHI), 21-22 October 2023
Olympic Qualifier Series* - March-June 2024 - 10 quotas
The Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) is a newly launched multisport qualifier composed of three events. It will be the last decisive chance for athletes to qualify to Paris 2024.
For sport climbing, athletes will get a spot to the OQS through invitations, which will be released based on the 2023 international events results/rankings, with a maximum quota per gender per National Federation.
The exact procedure to allocate these quotas is yet to be determined. The quota places will be allocated respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC.
What is the Paris 2024 sport climbing competition format and schedule?
The sport climbing competition at Paris 2024 will take place from 5 to 10 August 2024 in Le Bourget.
The speed competition will feature one qualifying round with the highest-placed athletes reaching the final. On 7 August the first-ever individual Olympic gold medals in speed will be handed out in the women's final. The men's medals will be up for grabs the day after in the men's final.
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Speed specialists to watch at Paris 2024
Despite having won the combined gold medal in Tokyo 2020 thanks to an outstanding performance in the speed event, Spain's Alberto Gines is a boulder specialist. But there is another Spaniard who has shown strong form in the speed category - Erik Noya.
However, the two speed specialists who have most impressed over the past years are Indonesia's Veddriq Leonardo and Kiromal Katibin. Katibin is the current world record holder, who broke his own world best mark for the fifth time this season with a time of 5.00 seconds in the Chamonix World Cup.
Another climber to take into account in the men's category is Italy’s Ludovico Fossali who is the current world champion in this event.
Just as Indonesian athletes dominate the men’s competition, Polish stars have done the same in the women’s, with Natalia Kalucka the 2021 world champion in speed, Aleksandra Miroslaw the two-time world champion and current world record holder (6.53 seconds), Aleksandra Kalucka the world cup leader and Patrycja Chudziak leading the global speed climbing scene.
The biggest threat to their dominance is the USA’s Emma Hunt, who at just 19 years old will also be aiming for the gold medal.
Sport climbing qualification timeline to Paris 2024
- August 2023: IFSC World Championship, Bern (Switzerland)
- Within 5 days of the event: The IFSC confirms in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained
- Within two weeks of the previous step: The NOCs to confirm to the IFSC the use of the allocated quota places
- September-December 2023: IFSC Continental Qualifiers
- Within five days of the event: The IFSC confirms in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained
- Within two weeks of the previous step: The NOCs to confirm to the IFSC the use of the allocated quota places
- March-June 2024: Olympic Qualifier Series
- Within 5 days of the event/series: The IFSC confirms in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained
- Within two weeks of the conclusion of the event/series: The NOCs to confirm to the IFSC the use of the allocated quota places
- After the previous step: Reallocation of any unused host country places (if needed). The IFSC confirms in writing to the NOC the quota places obtained
- Within two weeks of the previous step: The NOC confirms to the IFSC the use of allocated quota places
- After the conclussion of the last event/series and the confirmation of NOCs quota places: Reallocation of host country places (if needed). The IFSC confirms in writing to the NOC the quota places obtained
- Within two weeks of the previous step: The NOCs to confirm to the IFSC the use of the allocated quota places
- At the end of the qualification period: The Tripartite Commission to confirm in writing the allocation of Universality places to the NOCs (where applicable)
- At the end of the qualification period: Reallocation of Universality place (if needed). The IFSC confirms in writing to the NOC the quota places obtained
- Within two weeks of the previous step: The NOCs to confirm to the IFSC the use of the allocated quota places
- Following the previous steps: The IFSC to reallocate all unused quota places
- 8 July 2024: Paris 2024 Sport Entries Deadline
- Technical meeting: The IFSC to reallocate any unused quota places post-sport-entries deadline
- 26 July-11 August 2024: Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Find out more about the qualification system for other sports that will feature at Paris 2024.