{{Short description|Competitive rock climbing}} {{About|the sport of competitive rock climbing|the non-competitive sport of bolted rock climbing|Sport climbing}} {{Infobox sport | name = Competition climbing | image = Climbing World Championships 2018 Lead Final Schubert 08.jpg | image_size = | caption = Jakob Schubert in the competition lead climbing final of the 2018 IFSC World Championships | union = World Climbing | nickname = Sport climbing; can be confused with sport climbing | first = 1985 (Lead), 1998 (Bouldering, Speed) | country/region = | registered = | clubs = | contact = | type = Individual sport | mgender = | category = | equipment = Shoes, chalk, harness, rope, quickdraws | venue = Indoor climbing wall | olympic = Since 2020 | paralympic = to be included in 2028 | IWGA = 2005–present }} {{Climbing sidebar}} '''Competition climbing''' is a form of regulated rock-climbing competition held indoors on purpose-built artificial climbing walls (earlier versions were held on external natural rock surfaces). The three competition climbing disciplines are based on the climbing activities of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing. The result of multiple disciplines can be used in a "combined" format to determine an all-round winner (or the "combined" winner). Competition climbing is sometimes called "sport climbing", which is the name given to pre-bolted lead climbing, and was the first climbing discipline to hold competitions.<ref name=CN2/>
In '''competition lead climbing''', competitors start at the bottom of a pre-bolted sport-climbing route and lead-climb to touch or secure the highest climbing hold possible within a set time limit on a single attempt, making sure to clip the rope into pre-placed quickdraws while ascending. In '''competition bouldering''', competitors climb short bouldering problems without a rope, with an emphasis on the number of problems completed, and the attempts necessary to do so. In '''competition speed climbing''', competitors race-off in pairs on a standardised 'speed climbing wall' using a top rope on an auto belay, in the shortest time.
World Climbing (renamed from the IFSC) regulates and organizes international competition climbing events, including the biennial World Climbing Championship, and the annual World Climbing Series that is held as a series of events during the year to determine the overall winnner. Competition climbing first featured at the 2020 Summer Olympics in a once-off single combined format per gender, with results based on a combination of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing performances. Climbing at the 2024 Olympics had speed climbing as a standalone event, with lead and boulder as a combined event. All three disciplines will be standalone medal events at the 2028 Olympics.
==History== {{see also|History of rock climbing}}
Competition climbing dates from the arrival of sport climbing in the mid-1980s, which is a type of rock climbing where the climbing protection is pre-bolted into the climbing route, so the climber does not have to worry about their safety while ascending. Some were reticent about the ethics of competitive climbing, and in early 1985, several leading climbers signed the {{ill|Manifeste des 19|fr}}, rejecting the concept. However, later in 1985, the first internationally recognized competition climbing event was held at Sportroccia, which later became the annual Rock Master competition. These were annual lead climbing competitions held outdoors on natural rock surfaces and their first winners were Stefan Glowacz, Patrick Edlinger and Catherine Destivelle.<ref name=GR1/><ref name=IFSC1>{{cite web | website=International Federation of Sport Climbing | url=https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php/about-us | title=History of Competition Climbing | access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref><ref name=BMC1>{{cite web | website=British Mountaineering Council | url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-competition-climbing | first=Toby | last=Dunne | date=17 August 2021 | access-date=20 December 2022 | title=A brief history of competition climbing}}</ref>
In 1988–89, the French Federation and Paul Brasset convinced the UIAA to regulate and administer competition climbing; it was agreed that events would be held on indoor artificial climbing walls and governed by the a UIAA-subgroup known as the International Council for Competition Climbing (ICC).<ref name=GR1/><ref name=IFSC1/> In 1989, the first UIAA Climbing World Cup was held over seven events around the world.<ref name=BMC1/> In 1991, the first biennial UIAA World Climbing Championships was held in Frankfurt.<ref name=GR1/><ref name=IFSC1/> In 1992, the first UIAA Climbing World Youth Championships was held in Basel.<ref name=GR1/><ref name=IFSC1/> In 1998, bouldering and speed climbing were added alongside lead climbing for UIAA competition climbing events.<ref name=GR1/><ref name=IFSC1/><ref name=BMC1/> In 2005, competition climbing was added to the World Games.<ref name=GR1/><ref name=IFSC1/> In 2006–07, the UIAA-ICC ceded governance of competition climbing to a newly formed International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) that the International Olympic Committee provisionally recognised; in 2026, the IFSC was renamed to World Climbing (WC).<ref name=GR1/><ref name=IFSC1/>
In August 2016, the IOC announced that competition climbing would be a sport in the 2020 Summer Olympics, but that lead, boulder, and speed would be combined into a single medal event; this caused upset however it allowed the maximum number of disciplines to feature at the Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php/olympic-games |title=Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 |year=2020 |publisher=International Federation of Sport Climbing}}</ref><ref name=Outside1>{{cite web | magazine=Outside | url=https://www.climbing.com/competition/olympics/olympic-climbing-101-everything-you-need-to-know-about-climbing-at-the-2020-tokyo-olympics/ | title=Olympic Climbing 101: Everything You Need to Know About Competition Climbing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics | first=John | last=Burgman | date=22 February 2020 | access-date=23 July 2023}}</ref> During August 3–6, 2021, Alberto Ginés López and Janja Garnbret won the first-ever men's and women's Olympic climbing gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, in the newly created combined event consisting of all three disciplines.<ref name=IFSC1/><ref name=NG1>{{cite web|archive-date=Aug 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810141313/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/2019/04/rock-climbing-added-to-olympics-2020/|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/2019/04/rock-climbing-added-to-olympics-2020/|title=Rock climbing will be a 2020 Olympic sport. Here's what to expect.|publisher=National Geographic}}</ref>
After the Tokyo Olympics, it was announced that the 2024 Paris Olympics would only combine lead climbing and bouldering into a single medal event, with speed climbing as a standalone medal event.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=Rock & Ice | first=John |last=Burgman | date=2 August 2022 | access-date=28 July 2023 | title=3 billion people tuned in to competition climbing in Tokyo a year ago. Climbing can't ever be the same.| url=https://www.climbing.com/gym-climbing/gym-news/3-billion-people-watched-climbing-in-the-olympics-a-year-later-heres-what-changed/#_pay-wall}}</ref> In April 2025, the IOC announced that all three competition climbing disciplines—lead, bouldering, and speed—would be individual medal events at the 2028 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite web | website=Olympics.com | url=https://www.olympics.com/en/news/sport-climbing-la28-what-new-olympic-format-means-for-sport | title=Sport climbing at LA28: What the new Olympic format means for the sport and its stars | first=Grace | last=Goulding | date=10 April 2025 | accessdate=12 May 2026}}</ref>
== Disciplines ==
=== Competition lead climbing === {{see also|Lead climbing}} [[File:Janja Garnbret, World Championships, 17 09 2016 Paris.jpg|thumb|left|Janja Garnbret, lead climbing with quickdraw clipped in, at the 2016 IFSC Climbing World Championships]] In competition lead climbing, the competitors have 6 minutes to climb a {{Convert|15|m|ft|adj=on}} challenging, and usually significantly overhanging, pre-bolted sport-climbing route (with pre-placed quickdraws for their protection), constructed by a route setter.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/> For the safety of the competitors, they must also clip their safety rope into the various quickdraws (that are attached to the bolts) while they ascend the route; failing to clip into a quickdraw terminates their climb at that position.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/>
In the wider sport of rock-climbing, pre-bolted lead-climbing routes are known as sport climbs (in contrast to traditional climbing, where the climber places removable protection equipment as they ascend the route), confusingly however, "competition climbing" is sometimes also called "sport climbing", even though it also has bouldering and speed climbing.<ref name=CN2>{{cite web | website=Climber | url=https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-sport-climbing/ | date=6 April 2021 | access-date=2 March 2023 | title=What Is Sport Climbing? – Everything You Need To Know}}</ref><ref name=GR3>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/olympic-competition-climbing-explained/ | title=Olympic Competition Climbing: Explained | first=Noah | last=Walker | date=26 July 2021 | access-date=26 February 2023}}</ref>
The climber is allowed one single attempt at the route.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/> Their score on the route is determined by the highest artificial hold number that they "controlled" before falling (i.e. all the artificial holds on the wall are numbered, starting with 1 at the bottom); if in addition, they had "used" that hold to make a controlled movement for the next hold before falling, a "+" is added to their score.<ref name=GR3/> For example, falling while secured on hold 34, while reaching for hold 35, earns a score of "34+".<ref name=NBC/>
Between rounds, the competitors are collectively given 6 minutes to inspect — but not attempt or practice — the next route.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/> After the brief inspection, they are kept in an isolation area to prevent them from observing other competitors on the route and collecting its beta (which would help them to flash the route); they are thus effectively lead climbing the artificial route as an onsight, which is the most difficult way to ascend a new route.<ref name=NBC>{{cite web | website=NBC News | url=https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/sport-climbing-101-rules#:~:text=Each%20climber%20gets%20one%20attempt,is%20awarded%20the%20top%20rank. | title=Sport Climbing 101: Rules | first=Eric | last=Goodman | date=21 March 2021 | access-date=26 February 2023}}</ref>
=== Competition bouldering === {{see also|Bouldering}} [[File:Boulder Worldcup 2017 Munich 9201.jpg|thumb|Bouldering at the 2017 IFSC Climbing World Cup in Munich]] In competition bouldering, the competitors have to "solve" multiple short {{Convert|4.5|m|ft|adj=on}} bouldering problems over a set time period, with the fewest falls.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/> In contrast to lead climbing, these boulder problems are more complex, but each boulder problem can be attempted multiple times – with repeated falls – within a certain time limit (usually 5 minutes in qualifiers and 4 minutes in finals).<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/> As in all bouldering, the competitors do not use a rope or any climbing protection, but crash pads that are laid across the ground for safety.<ref name=NBC/>
Each individual boulder problem has an official start position with proscribed positions for all four of the competitor's limbs at the base of the problem.<ref name=NBC/> The competitor is judged to have completed the boulder problem when they have placed their two hands on the explicitly marked "top" hold and held it long enough to receive confirmation from the judge.<ref name=GR3/> In addition to the top hold, "zone holds" are located at the mid-point of the problem, which if secured, earn a half point, in lieu of failing to earn a full point by "topping".<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/>
As with competition lead climbing, the competitors cannot see each other's attempts which would help them to learn route's beta.<ref name=NBC/> The climber's score is determined by the overall number of routes "topped", the most "zone holds" reached, and the number of attempts needed.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/> As of 2026, A topped climb will award the climber 25 points, a zone hold reached will award 10 points, and 0.1 points are deducted per unsuccessful attempt.<ref>{{Cite web|title=World Climbing|url=https://www.worldclimbing.com/news/new-rule-changes-take-effect-for-ifsc-world-cup-series-2025|website=www.worldclimbing.com|date=2025-03-05|access-date=2026-02-01|language=en|first=Richard|last=Aspland}}</ref> After all the climbs are completed, points are counted between competitors, with the competitor with the highest score being the winner.
=== Competition speed climbing === {{see also|Speed climbing}} [[File:2020-11-21 - IFSC Euros - Speed M - Bronze Final - Photo 6.jpg|thumb|Marcin Dzieński (Lane A) beats Vladislav Deulin (Lane B) in the bronze medal elimination at the 2020 IFSC European Championships]] In competition speed climbing, the competitors must ascend a {{Convert|15|m|ft|adj=on}}, slightly overhanging, standardised climbing wall, where, unlike leading climbing or bouldering, the holds are always the exact same size and placed in the exact same location.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/> As the emphasis is on speed, the climbers do not have the time to clip into quickdraws (as per competition lead climbing) and instead use an auto-belay top rope for climbing protection.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/>
In qualification, competitors race in pairs in Lane A and Lane B, however, they are not racing against each other, but against the clock.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/> Each competitor during qualification races twice — once in each Lane — and the eight fastest competitors, using their best time, reach the finals.<ref name=NBC/> In the finals, competitors race against each other in elimination rounds, with the winner, regardless of time, advancing until the ultimate winner is decided.<ref name=NBC/><ref name=GR3/>
=== Combined formats === Over the years, two different combinations of disciplines have comprised the combined format. They can either be held as additional competitions or be calculated from the results of the other events.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Rules 2024 |url=https://images.ifsc-climbing.org/ifsc/image/private/t_q_good/prd/ugfyikqetemtjmujhwky.pdf |website=IFSC}}</ref> The IFSC combined all three events into one competition from 2017 to 2021, after which they split out speed but kept boulder and lead in a combined format.
==== Triple combination ==== As sport climbing was allocated only a single medal per gender at its Olympic debut in 2020, the IFSC opted to merge lead, boulder and speed into a single format, first held at the 2017 Climbing Youth World Championships. Individual rounds were scored as usual. For the overall result, an athletes ranks in each of the three competitions were multiplied, leaving the competitor with the lowest score as the winner.<ref name="Outside1" /><ref name="NG1" /><ref name=":0" />
==== Boulder & Lead (2024 Olympics) ==== For the 2024 Olympics two medals per gender were allocated. Speed climbing is now separate from the ''Boulder & Lead'' competition.<ref name="GR2" />
Each of the four boulders features two zones worth 5 and 10 points respectively, and a top worth 25 points. Points are awarded for the highest hold controlled by the climber, minus 0.1 points for each attempt needed to reach that hold. On the lead route, the last ten holds from the top are worth 4 points each, the 10 before those 3 points each etc. If the last hold reached is not only controlled but used to progress along the route, 0.1 points will be added to the score. The scores of each round are added, and the competitor with the highest score as the winner.<ref name=":0" />
== Notable competitions == {{See also|Category:Climbing competitions}}
===World Climbing===
The most important competition climbing events are administered by World Climbing (was previously called the IFSC):<ref name=GR1>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | url=https://gripped.com/events/a-history-of-climbing-competitions-since-1985/ | title=A History of Climbing Competitions Since 1985 | date=15 July 2019 | access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref><ref name=IC>{{cite book | title=The Indoor Climbing Manual | first=John | last=White | chapter=Chapter 12: Competition Climbing | pages=166–173 | publisher=Bloomsbury Sport | isbn=978-1408186626 | date=2014}}</ref>
* World Climbing Championship (previously, the IFSC Climbing World Championship), a biennial event (i.e. every two years), for male and female rock climbers with medals awarded in the four disciplines of lead climbing, bouldering, speed climbing, and combined (from the first three). * World Climbing Series (previously, the IFSC Climbing World Cup), an annual competition, spread over several individual events held at locations around the world during the year, for male and female rock climbers with medals awarded at the final event to the aggregate overall winners across all events in the four disciplines of lead climbing, bouldering, speed climbing, and combined (from the first three).
===Olympics=== [[File:Climbing pictogram.svg|right|200px|thumb|Pictogram for Sport climbing at the Summer Olympics]] Climbing was included for the first time in the 2020 Olympics as an additional sport.<ref name=GR1/><ref name=Outside1/> The decision to combine three disciplines of lead, boulder and speed climbing into a single event had caused widespread criticism in the climbing world.<ref name="nationalGeographic-format">{{cite web|archive-date=Aug 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810141313/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/2019/04/rock-climbing-added-to-olympics-2020/|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/2019/04/rock-climbing-added-to-olympics-2020/|title=Rock climbing will be a 2020 Olympic sport. Here's what to expect.|date=17 April 2019 |publisher=National Geographic}}</ref> In the 2024 Olympics, boulder-and-lead combined and speed climbing were held as separate events.<ref name=GR2>{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Noah |title=The Paris Olympics – A New Scoring System |url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/the-paris-olympics-a-new-scoring-system/ |access-date=12 July 2022 |work=Gripped |date=23 December 2021}}</ref> On 3 February 2022, the IOC designated competition climbing as a core Summer Olympic sport starting with the 2028 Olympics.<ref name="Wharton 2022">{{cite web | last=Wharton | first=David | title=IOC approves proposal to include skateboarding, surfing and rock climbing at 2028 LA Olympics | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2022-02-03 | url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/story/2022-02-02/ioc-approves-proposal-to-include-skateboarding-surfing-and-rock-climbing-at-2028-la-olympics | access-date=2024-01-29}}</ref> Lead, boulder, and speed climbing will be three standalone medal disciplines for the first time at the 2028 Olympics, bringing it into line with World Climbing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aspland |first=Richard |date=2026-02-02 |title=World Climbing |url=https://www.worldclimbing.com/events/olympic-games-la28/news/qualification-system-for-la28-released |access-date=2026-05-29 |website=www.worldclimbing.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Notable competition climbers== {{main|Ranking of career IFSC victories by climber}}
{{Multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=240 | image1 = Climbing World Championships 2018 Combined Final Schubert (BT0B0789).jpg | image2 = Sprejem za olimpijce 2021 (52131393588) (cropped).jpg | image3 = Adam Ondra (2019).jpg | image4 = Angela Eiter 2.jpg | image5 = 2012-07-17 François Legrand (crop2).jpg | image6 = Kilian Fischhuber.jpg | footer = Most successful competition climbers: Jakob Schubert, Janja Garnbret, Adam Ondra, Angela Eiter, François Legrand, and Kilian Fischhuber }} As of 2025, the most successful overall male competition climber in history is Austrian climber Jakob Schubert, followed by Czech climber Adam Ondra, and French climber François Legrand. Legrand is the most successful lead competition climber, Austrian climber Kilian Fischhuber is the most successful bouldering competition climber, and Chinese climber Zhong Qixin is the most successful speed competition climber.
As of 2025, the most successful overall female competition climber in history is Slovenian climber Janja Garnbret, followed by French climber Sandrine Levet, and Austrian climber Angela Eiter. Garnbret is also the most successful lead competition climber, Levet also is the most successful bouldering competition climber, and Russian climber Tatiana Ruyga is the most successful speed competition climber.
As of 2025, Garnbret is the most dominant competition climber, male or female, of all time.<ref name=JG>{{cite web | magazine=Climbing | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/janja-garnbret-the-greatest-competitive-climber-of-all-time/ | title=Janja Garnbret, The Greatest Competitive Climber of All Time | first=Owen | last=Clarke | date=2 May 2022 | access-date=20 December 2022}}</ref><ref name=Gripped2>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/garnbret-becomes-the-greatest-of-all-time/ | title=Garnbret Becomes the Greatest Of All Time | first=Noah | last=Walker | date=6 September 2021 | access-date=20 December 2022}}</ref>
===Notable non-competition climbers===
As competition climbing developed in the 1980s, some of the leading sport climbers ignored it to focus on setting grade milestones in sport climbing. German climber Wolfgang Güllich, the strongest sport climber of that era, avoided the competition circuit saying: "competitions are good for earning money, I see it as nothing more".<ref name=BethWald>{{cite book | title=Vantage Point: 50 Years of the Best Climbing Stories Ever Told | pages=76–84 | isbn=978-1493034772 | publisher=Falcon Guides | first=Beth | last=Wald | date=November 2018 | chapter=Interview with Wolfgang Gullich (June 1987) | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JlpgDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22wolfgang+gullich%22+%22biographie%22&pg=PA76 | access-date=22 June 2022}}</ref> In 2001, American climber Chris Sharma, the strongest sport climber of his era, also retired early from competition climbing saying: "Personally, that's not ever really been my deal. I mean, competitions are fun, but 15 minutes after the competition they take the holds off. It's way more important for me to put up new routes and develop my vision in rock climbing. Create a legacy, create something lasting. No one remembers who won the freakin' World Cup in 1997, but people know who put up ''Action Directe''.<ref name=CL30>{{cite book | publisher=Falcon Guides Publishing | date=November 2018 | access-date=18 June 2022 | first=Jeff | last=Achey | page=202 | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/half-life/ | title=Vantage Point: 50 Years of the Best Climbing Stories Ever Told | isbn=978-1493034772 | chapter=Half Life: Chris Sharma Interview (February 2011, Issue 292)}}</ref> Since 2010 however, it has become increasingly rare for leading male and female rock climbers, both in sport climbing and bouldering, not to begin their careers as successful competition climbers.<ref name=UKClimbing>{{cite web | magazine=UK Climbing | url= https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/nobodys_wing_man_seb_bouin_-_the_story_so_far-12553 | title=Nobody's Wing Man: Seb Bouin – The Story so Far Feature | date=29 January 2020 | access-date=19 November 2022 | first=Dave | last=Barns}}</ref>
==In film== *''The Wall: Climb for Gold'', a 2022 film documentary on Janja Garnbret, Shauna Coxsey, Brooke Raboutou, and Miho Nonaka.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=Climbing | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/the-wall-climb-for-gold-new-film-reveals-the-vulnerable-side-of-climbings-olympians/ | title="The Wall: Climb For Gold" New Film Reveals The Vulnerable Side of Climbing's Olympians | first=John | last=Burgman | date=20 January 2022 | access-date=2 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/why-you-should-watch-the-wall-climb-for-gold/ | title=Why You Should Watch 'The Wall: Climb for Gold' | first=Noah | last=Walker | date=25 January 2022 | access-date=2 October 2023}}</ref>
==See also== {{portal|Climbing}} {{commons category}} * '''Other forms of competitive climbing''': ** Competition deep-water soloing ** Competition ice climbing, regulated by the UIAA ** Competition multi-pitch climbing * '''Organizations''': ** USA Climbing, the body charged with regulating and administration of competition climbing in America
== References == {{reflist}}
===Further reading=== *{{cite book | title=High Drama: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of American Competition Climbing | first=John | last=Burgman | publisher=Triumph Books | edition=illustrated | date=March 2020 | isbn=978-1629377759}} *{{cite journal | title=Olympic competition climbing: the beginning of a new era-a narrative review | first1=Christoph |last1=Lutter | first2=Thomas | last2=Tischer | first3=Volker |last3=Rainer Schöffl | journal=British Journal of Sports Medicine | doi=10.1136/bjsports-2020-102035 | date=August 2021 | pages=857–864 | volume=55 | issue=15 | pmid=33036996 }}
== External links == *[https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php/world-competition/rules Rules of Competition Climbing], International Federation of Sport Climbing (2023) *[https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/ifsc-climbing-explained IFSC World Cup Climbing Rules & Scoring Explained], ''Gear Junkie'' (July 2022) *[https://competit.pl/en/climbing-competitions/ Climbing Competitions Calendar]
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