Climbing at the Paris 2024 Olympics - Explained

Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Sport Climbing Events

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11 in the French capital. This year, Sport Climbing will feature both a Speed event and a combined Boulder & Lead event, increasing the total number of medal events from two in Tokyo to four in Paris. Additionally, the number of participating Sport Climbing athletes will rise from 40 in Tokyo to 68 in Paris.

Event Schedule (UTC+2:00)

Monday, 5 August (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM)‍

Men's Boulder & Lead semi-final, Boulder round

Women's Speed qualification

Tuesday, 6 August (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM)

Women's Boulder & Lead semi-final, Boulder round

Men's Speed qualification

Wednesday, 7 August (10:00 AM - 1:15 PM)

Men's Boulder & Lead semi-final, Lead round

Women's Speed final

Thursday, 8 August (10:00 AM - 1:15 PM)

Women's Boulder & Lead semi-final, Lead round

Men's Speed final

Friday, 9 August (10:15 AM - 1:20 PM)

Men's Boulder & Lead final

Saturday, 10 August (10:15 AM - 1:20 PM)

Women's Boulder & Lead final

Rules and Formats

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, sport climbing will feature three formats: bouldering, speed, and lead. In bouldering, climbers scale 4.5-meter-high walls without ropes, aiming to complete the climb in the shortest time and fewest attempts. The speed format is a thrilling head-to-head race where athletes dash up a 15-meter wall, inclined at five degrees, records being under six seconds for men and under seven seconds for women! Insane right! Lead climbing challenges athletes to ascend as high as possible on a 15-meter wall, navigating increasingly complex and unseen routes that test their physical and mental prowess.

In the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, climbers competed in all three disciplines, with their final scores reflecting their combined results. The climber with the lowest score earned the first Olympic gold medal in sport climbing history.

For Paris 2024, two separate competitions will crown their own Olympic champions: one will be a combined event of bouldering and lead, and the other will focus solely on speed climbing.

How Scoring Works in Olympic Climbing Events

Lead Climbing

Lead climbing involves athletes scaling a tall wall with a rope, clipping into quickdraws as they ascend. Points are awarded based on the number of holds they successfully grip.

Athletes climb one route per round (qualifying, semi-finals, finals), earning more points as they progress higher. For example, on a route with 50 holds:

• Top 10 holds: 4 points each
• Next 10 holds: 3 points each
• Following 10 holds: 2 points each
• Next 10 holds: 1 point each
• Bottom 10 holds: 0 points

If an athlete reaches for a hold but misses, they receive 0.1 points added to their current score. Lead climbing tests endurance, with higher climbs earning higher scores.

Bouldering

Bouldering takes place on shorter, more powerful routes above mats (as we know well). Athletes face four problems (blocs), aiming to reach the top of as many as possible in few attempts.

The scoring includes attempts and zones (two holds marked as zones in Paris 2024). Zones reward athletes for reaching difficult points, even if they don’t top out.

• Reaching the top on the first attempt (flash): 25 points
• Highest zone hold: 10 points
• First zone hold: 5 points
• Failed attempts before securing a hold: -0.1 points each

For example, if a climber reaches the second zone in 3 attempts (9.8 points) and then tops out in 2 more attempts, their final score would be 24.6 (25 - 4x0.1).

Combined Boulder & Lead Scoring

In Paris 2024, the combined score for Boulder & Lead is simplified by adding the points from both disciplines. The maximum score an athlete can achieve is 200 points.

Speed Climbing

Speed climbing involves two climbers racing side by side on a standardized 15m route. The event includes seeding rounds followed by knockout stages: quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals to determine the medals.

Athletes (14 male, 14 female) run the course twice (once on each of two walls). Their fastest time determines their rank for the knockout stages.

Current qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Climbing Olympics

Women's Speed

• Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi (INA) – IFSC World Championships Bern 2023, 1st place
• Emma Hunt (USA) – IFSC World Championships Bern 2023, 2nd place
• Aleksandra Miroslaw (POL) – IFSC European Qualifier Rome 2023, 1st place
• Piper Kelly (USA) – Pan American Games Santiago 2023, 1st place
• Deng Lijuan (CHN) – IFSC Asian Qualifier Jakarta 2023, 1st place
• Sarah Tetzlaff (NZL) – IFSC Oceania Qualifier Melbourne 2023, 1st place
• Aniya Holder (RSA) – IFSC African Qualifier Pretoria 2023, 1st place

Women's Boulder and Lead

• Janja GARNBRET (SLO) – IFSC World Championships Bern 2023 – 1st place
• Jessica PILZ (AUT) – IFSC World Championship Bern 2023 – 2nd place
• MORI Ai (JPN) – IFSC World Championships Bern 2023 – 3rd place
• Oriane BERTONE (FRA) – IFSC European Qualifier Laval 2023 – 1st place
• Natalia GROSSMAN (USA) – Pan American Games Santiago 2023 – 1st place
• ZHANG Yuetong (CHN) – IFSC Asian Qualifier Jakarta 2023 – 1st place
• Oceania MACKENZIE (AUS) – IFSC Oceania Qualifier Melbourne 2023 – 1st place
• Lauren MUKHEIBIR (RSA) – IFSC African Qualifier Pretoria 2023 – 1st place
• Brooke RABOUTOU (USA) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• NONAKA Miho (JPN) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Erin MCNEICE (GBR) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• SEO Chaehyun (KOR) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• LUO Zhilu (CHN) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Ievgeniia KAZBEKOVA (UKR) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Mia KRAMPL (SLO) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Lucia DORFFEL (GER) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Zelia AVEZOU (FRA) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Camilla MORONI (ITA) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Laura ROGORA (ITA) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Molly THOMPSON-SMITH (GBR) – Olympic Qualifier Series

Men's Speed

• Matteo Zurloni (ITA) – IFSC World Championships Bern 2023, 1st place
• Long Jinbao (CHN) – IFSC World Championships Bern 2023, 2nd place
• Bassa Mawem (FRA) – IFSC European Qualifier Rome 2023, 1st place
• Samuel Watson (USA) – Pan American Games Santiago 2023, 1st place
• Rahmad Adi Mulyono (INA) – IFSC Asian Qualifier Jakarta 2023, 1st place
• Julian David (NZL) – IFSC Oceania Qualifier Melbourne 2023, 1st place
• Joshua Bruyns (RSA) – IFSC African Qualifier Pretoria 2023, 1st place

Men's Boulder & Lead

• Jakob SCHUBERT (AUT) – IFSC World Championships Bern 2023 – 1st place
• Colin DUFFY (USA) – IFSC World Championship Bern 2023 – 2nd place
• NARASAKI Tomoa (JPN) – IFSC World Championships Bern 2023 – 3rd place
• Toby ROBERTS (GBR) – IFSC European Qualifier Laval 2023 – 1st place
• Jesse GRUPPER (USA) – Pan American Games Santiago 2023 – 1st place
• ANRAKU Sorato (JPN) – IFSC Asian Qualifier Jakarta 2023 – 1st place
• Campbell HARRISON (AUS) – IFSC Oceania Qualifier Melbourne 2023 – 1st place
• Mel JANSE VAN RENSBURG (RSA) – IFSC African Qualifier Pretoria 2023 – 1st place
• LEE Dohyun (KOR) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Sam AVEZOU (FRA) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Adam ONDRA (CZE) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Alberto GINES LOPEZ (ESP) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Hannes VAN DUYSEN (BEL) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Paul JENFT (FRA) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Yannick FLOHE (GER) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Hamish MCARTHUR (GBR) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Sascha LEHMANN (SUI) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Alexander MEGOS (GER) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• Luka POTOCAR (SLO) – Olympic Qualifier Series
• PAN Yufei (CHN) – Olympic Qualifier Series
  

Exciting Times for GB Athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics

We are thrilled that several GB athletes have secured their tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympics, including Toby Roberts and Erin McNeice. Both were champions of our flagship competition, 'The Brawl on the Wall,'!

Toby Roberts, who won the IFSC European Qualifier in Laval, and Erin McNeice, who qualified through the Olympic Qualifier Series, have demonstrated remarkable skill and determination.

We got to cheer them on a The Brawl and now we can prepare to cheer them on at the biggest sporting event in the world, let’s rally behind Toby, Erin, and all our GB athletes as they aim for Olympic glory in Paris!

Paraclimbing and the Paralympic Games

While Paraclimbing will not feature in the Paris 2024 Olympics, the future looks bright for this inspiring sport. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has officially approved Paraclimbing as part of the Sports Programme for the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles 2028.

This significant milestone marks Paraclimbing as the fifth new sport to be added to the Paralympic programme in the past 12 years, reflecting the IPC’s commitment to showcasing the diversity and dynamism of the Paralympic Movement. The inclusion of Paraclimbing in LA28 underscores the growing recognition and support for adaptive sports, highlighting the exceptional skills and determination of para-athletes.

By 2028, Paraclimbing will join the ranks of other Paralympic sports, providing a global platform for athletes with physical impairments to demonstrate their climbing prowess. The decision to include Paraclimbing not only enriches the Paralympic Games but also inspires a new generation of climbers, promoting inclusivity and accessibility in the world of sports.

Live Coverage at Font Centres

We are excited to announce that the Olympics will be broadcast live from both Font centres, providing comprehensive coverage of the climbing events. Join us at our Wandsworth and Borough locations to experience the thrill of the climbing Olympics in real-time! Discounts on bar and cafe available whilst its LIVE!

Getting to Font Centres

Wandsworth Centre

• By Train: The nearest station is Wandsworth Town. From there, it's a short walk or bus ride to the centre.
• By Bus: Several bus routes service the area, including the 28, 44, and 270.
• By Car: Limited parking is available on-site and in nearby streets.

Earlsfield Centre

• By Train: Earlsfield station is the closest, with frequent services from central London. The centre is a short walk from the station.
• By Bus: Buses 44, 77, and 270 stop near the centre.
• By Car: Street parking is available, with some restrictions during peak hours.