UKC

On 12th December the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) welcomed the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) into the Olympic Movement paving the way for competition climbing to be an Olympic sport - "not if, but when," said one source. Supporters are hoping for 2020.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

Excellent!

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:
O bliss and joy.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC: This is cool and all, but 2020? Will it really take 12 years to organise?

In reply to Robfromcornwall: Summer 2009 is when the decision will be made as to whether new sports are added (or existing sports ditched) to the 2016 programme. So that means the IFSC have only 18 or so months, which is not very long!

In reply to Robfromcornwall:

Because they have to give tiddlywinks 8 years notice before there's room for sport climbing.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

What a ridiculous decision. I despair. I'd sooner see tiddlywinks in there - much sooner.

As for climbing itself, do we really need to get into bed with synchronised swimming?

jcm

In reply to Robfromcornwall:

They've got to work out which combination of performance enhancing drugs will be most effective.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:
They could have deep water synchronised soloing.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:


Sport climbing is the 1500m, we need the 100m sprint.......






































Bouldering!

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

What's so wrong with having climbing competions ?
It's a physical activity requiring full-body fitness, agility, skill and mental strength. Judging is solely on easily quantifiable performance and not on interpretation, artistic merits and other subjective qualities.
As such it fits into the olympic criteria - "Swifter, Higher, Stronger" - far better than synchronised swimming, rythmic gymnastics, shooting or indeed tiddlywinks

Obviously competion climbing only takes one element of climbing, and does it in a specific controlled environment. But then exactly the same can be said of Skiing, for example. Does my enjoyment of skiing suffer as a result of it's olympic status ?

In reply to Chris the Tall:

If climbing comps have to be on an artificial surface then shouldn't skiing?

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:
The UIAA has been an IOC-recognised Federation for a long time and Competition Climbing had previously been recognised by the IOC, along with Ski-mountaineering Competition and Ice-climbing Competition for an equally long time.

The IFSC 'lost' that recognition when it decided to split from the UIAA. They've done right well to get this far since the split BUT competition climbing had already been recognised by the IOC!

In reply to A Nidderdale boulderer.:
It is artificial in that the course is prepared etc
Off-piste skiing is not an olympic sport (neither is ski-mountaineering, although I believe there are competions and even a British team which receives some BMC support)

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:
And, Mick, BOTH links on the news item seem to take you to the IOC site - IFSC link linked wrong!

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Whether you have any interest in comps or not, this is fantastic news for climbing. Olympic recognition will raise public awareness of our sport. This will probably have several positive outcomes:

Greater availability of sponsorship - imagine what a gold medal win would achieve for someone like Steve Mac?

More incentive for talented young people to get into the sport

As a "trade-off" it will raise the sports overall popularity, so soloing at Stanage, midweek and in the wet, will become a chore! :P

J

In reply to orge:
The wet is the best time for stannage, it keeps the bugs (and top ropers) at bay. Infact I'm not sure I've ever spent a totally dry weekend at stannage.

In reply to anonymouse:

I like that, thats very funny : P

In reply to orge:
Orge - see my post above. Competition Climbing has been an IOC recognised sport for donkey's. When the comps boys decided to take their bat and ball (crimp and volume?) home and leave the UIAA that recognition was lost as a result. So a sort of well done for regaining the lost recognotion but the fallout of the split in the UIAA is likely to hurt for quite a while. British funding for representative attendance at UIAA commission meeetings (training, technical, environmental etc) AND IFSC has, co-incidentally I am sure, suddenly been stopped.

In reply to Andy Say:

As a result of government funding being directed almost entirely at the 2012 Olympics.....

In reply to Chris the Tall:
Now there's a possibility. You mean that us hosting the 2012 Olympics might reduce funding for grasssroots sport by £squillions? Well I never.....

An irony indeed if the 2012 Olympics prevent British representative involvement in developing competition climbing as a future Olympic sport

In reply to Andy Say:

Thanks Andy, link now corrected.

http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/?page_name=home&addcontent=0

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

interesting to see the predictable reaction of a few.

its interesting how a certain element of our sport really dont seem to like any change or movement at all.

In reply to SI A:

There will be both negative and positive effects. Nothing wrong in voicing an opinion either way.

The UIAA have been working for years for this. I'm ignorant of the politics, I will try and find someone to enlighten us.

Mick