IFSC Sport Climbing African Qualifier Pretoria 2023 – Preview, full schedule and how to watch live
Four Olympic quota spots for Paris 2024 are up for grabs in Pretoria, South Africa, from 7 to 9 December: two in the boulder & lead event, and two in the speed event. You can watch the action live on the Olympic Channel via Olympics.com. Find out everything about the competition below.
Sport Climbing
The IFSC Sport Climbing Continental Qualifiers conclude with the fifth and final event in Pretoria, South Africa.
Approximately 35 athletes will compete on the climbing walls set up outside the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Four Paris 2024 spots will be up for grabs: one each in men’s speed, women’s speed, men’s boulder & lead, and women’s boulder & lead.
Note: Quotas are allocated to each qualified athletes rather than their National Olympic Committee (NOC). However, the participation of athletes at Paris 2024 Olympics depends on their NOC selecting them.
The largest delegation will be from South Africa, boasting over 30 athletes. Among them is Christopher Cosser, who previously competed at Tokyo 2020 and now is trying to secure a quota for his second Olympics.
Two athletes from Uganda, one male and one female, are set to participate in Pretoria. Additionally, Mauritius will be represented by Doriane Samarandiff, who aims to raise the profile of sport climbing in her country.
Sport climbing: Road to Paris 2024
At Paris 2024, Sport Climbing undergoes a format change, doubling the total number of medal events from the previous edition. Four golds will be awarded in two distinct events: combined boulder and lead, and speed.
The number of sport climbers participating will see a significant rise from 40 to 68 compared to Tokyo 2020.
The African Qualifier marks the fifth and final Continental Qualifier in 2023, offering coveted spots for Paris 2024, following the European, Pan American, Asian, and Oceania Qualifiers.
Detailed explanations of the Olympic qualification system are provided below:
Full schedule at 2023 IFSC Sport Climbing African Qualifier
All times are local to Pretoria, South Africa, which is UTC+2
Thursday 7 December:
- 09:00 Women’s boulder and lead semi-finals (boulder round)
- 12:00 Speed qualifications
- 14:15 Speed finals
- 18:00 Women’s boulder and lead semi-finals (lead round)
Friday 8 December:
- 09:00 Men’s boulder and lead semi-finals (boulder round)
- 13:30 Men’s boulder and lead semi-finals (lead round)
Saturday 9 December:
- 8:30 Women's boulder and lead finals
- 16:25 Men's boulder and lead finals
How to watch – IFSC Sport Climbing African Qualifier Pretoria 2023
Live coverage of the action will be streamed on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com (territorial restrictions may apply)
It will also be available via the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) partner broadcaster and their YouTube channel.