Paris 2024: What is the new sport climbing format?
Rather than having one sport climbing event per gender, Paris 2024 will feature two. How will they be organised? What are the differences from Tokyo 2020? And which climbers should you follow? Olympics.com answers all your questions.
At Olympic Games Paris 2024, breaking will make its Olympic debut, while other sports will feature revised formats and disciplines. Olympics.com will bring you everything you need to know about what’s new at Paris 2024, so you're up to date about all that's changing at the next Olympic Games.
Today, we look at the new format of sport climbing. With more events, more medals and more athletes, the competition is sure to be even more spectacular in the Paris 2024 venue of Le Bourget.
What is the new sport climbing format at Paris 2024?
At Paris 2024, there will be two sport climbing events per gender: Boulder and lead combined and speed climbing. Four gold medals will be awarded at Le Bourget, the Olympic venue of sport climbing in the north of Paris.
In the combined event, athletes will compete in both boulder and lead. Rankings will be determined by adding together the points won in each of those specialties. The goal of the competition is to reach the highest point an athlete possibly can on the climbing wall. Every time a zone or move is validated points will be awarded to the climber, while unsuccessful attempts will lead to a point deduction. The best possible score is 200.
In speed climbing, athletes will attempt to reach the top of a 15-metre wall as quickly as possible. The format will include a qualification round and races between two opponents. Victorious athletes will progress through a bracket to the finals, which will decide the first male and female Olympic speed climbing champions.
“The two events are completely different, and fans will notice that just by looking at the climber's body type. They have very different styles,” Oriane Bertone explained to Olympics.com during a camp with the French national team.
Boulder and lead requires a more sustained effort, while in speed climbing being rapid is the key.
What was the previous Olympic sport climbing format?
Sport climbing debuted on the Olympic programme at Tokyo 2020. There was only one event per gender, a combined event that included boulder, lead and speed.
Each climber competed in the three different specialties in Tokyo and needed to be great all-rounders as points won in each discipline were combined. The competition saw the first sport climbing champions in Olympic history crowned: Janja Garnbret and Alberto Gines Lopez.
What are the main differences between the old and new sport climbing formats?
At Paris 2024, there will be twice as many events and the number of athletes competing will also increase from 40 to 68.
The increase in medal-winning opportunities will also mean there is more fun to be had. As speed is so different to boulder and lead, its removal from the combined event has been welcomed by many athletes who believe they will be able to express themselves better in their chosen discipline.
“Since speed is no longer in the combined event, training will be easier because training for all three disciplines was hard. It's really cool because we'll be able to focus on our disciplines,” explains Bertone.
Athletes to watch in sport climbing at Paris 2024
In speed climbing, Veddriq Leonardo and Katibin Kiromal were dominant in 2022. The two climbers from Indonesia topped the World Cup ranking with Kiromal even establishing a new world record in Chamonix with a time of 5.00s. The 2022 European speed champion is Danyil Boldyrev from Ukraine.
On the women's side, Aleksandra Miroslaw is the biggest name in the field. As well as being the 2022 European champion, she set a new world record last year with a time of 6.53 seconds. Also from Poland, Aleksandra Kalucka ended the year at the top of the world ranking. Emma Hunt is one of the most consistent speed climbers in the world and claimed the title at the World Games.
In boulder and lead, the ranking is still in an evolutionary phase due to the small number of competitions that have been organised for the event. That said, the Japanese men’s team impressed in the 2022 Boulder World Cup with climbers such as Ogata Yoshiyuki, Fujii Kokoro and Homma Taisei sweeping the podium. Yannick Flohé from Germany and Mejdi Schalck from France are among the most promising climbers aiming to beat the Japanese team.
Janja Garnbret is aiming for a second Olympic gold medal after triumphing in Tokyo where she proved her skill in each of the three specialties. Natalia Grossman and Brooke Raboutou, both from the USA, topped the Combined World Ranking at the end of 2022. The question is, will they be able to beat the climber from Slovenia in Paris?
Nonaka Miho in boulder and Seo Chaehyun in lead were impressive in 2022 and will have great ambitions on the road to Paris 2024. The same can also be said of Bertone who at 18 years old is already a star of the sport. With a home Olympics on the horizon, she can expect vociferous support from her local fans.
Sport climbing at the Olympic Games: Medalists and records
Tokyo 2020 Medallists - Men
- Alberto Gines Lopez (ESP)
- Nathaniel Coleman (USA)
- Jakob Schubert (AUT)
Tokyo 2020 Medallists - Women
- Janja Garnbret (SLO)
- Nonaka Miho (JPN)
- Noguchi Akiyo (JPN)
Speed Climbing Olympic record - Men
- Bassa Mawem (FRA) - 5.45 seconds
Speed Climbing Olympic record - Women
- Aleksandra Miroslaw (POL) - 6.97 seconds
How to qualify for sport climbing at Paris 2024?
Even if the number of quota places allocated in each event differs, the pathway to Paris 2024 is almost the same for both boulder and lead and speed climbing.
The first Olympic qualification event will be the World Championships which take place in Bern, Switzerland at the beginning of August 2023. After that, Continental Qualifiers will be organised throughout the autumn of 2023. The last quotas available to climbers will be awarded through the Olympic Qualifier Series which is scheduled to take place between March and June 2024.
Schedule of sport climbing at Paris 2024
Monday 5 August
- 10:00-14:00: Men Boulder - Semi-final & Women Speed - qualifications
Tuesday 6 August
- 10:00-14:00: Women Boulder - Semi-final & Men Speed - qualifications
Wednesday 7 August
- 10:00-13:15: Men Lead - Semi-final & Women Speed - Final
Thursday 8 August
- 10:00-13:15: Women Lead - Semi-final & Men Speed - Final
Friday 9 August
- 10:15 - 13:20: Men Boulder & Lead - Final
Saturday 10 August
- 10:15 - 13:20: Women Boulder & Lead - Final