Climbing at 2024 Paris Olympics: How it works, Team USA stars

Here’s what you need to know about climbing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Inception of Climbing in the Olympics

Climbing ascended to the Olympic pantheon during the Tokyo Games of 2021. However, the sport first appeared on the Olympic horizon at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games in 2018.

The inclusion of climbing, alongside skateboarding and surfing, was part of an initiative to broaden the program, incorporating more urban sports with an eye toward captivating the younger demographic. Sport climbing is slated to remain a fixture in the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.

The Mechanics of Olympic Climbing

Olympic sport climbing is dissected into three distinct disciplines: bouldering, speed, and lead.

Bouldering: Competitors scale a 4.5-meter (nearly 15 feet) wall sans ropes, striving to achieve this feat within a constrained timeframe and with the fewest attempts.

RELATED : Freddie Freeman’s emotional comeback shines in Dodgers’ victory against Phillies

Lead: Climbers endeavor to ascend as high as possible on a 15-meter (nearly 50 feet) wall within six minutes, executing this in a single attempt.

Speed: This discipline features head-to-head elimination rounds, where climbers race against the clock to surmount a 15-meter wall with a five-degree incline. Elite male climbers can complete this in under six seconds, while top female climbers typically break the seven-second barrier.

The key distinction in these Games compared to Tokyo is that speed climbing has been delineated as a standalone event, whereas bouldering and lead remain amalgamated. This format permits climbers to hone their expertise in their particular disciplines.

The Scoring System

The scoring methodology has undergone a transformation since the Tokyo Games. Previously, scores from each discipline were multiplied to derive a final tally. With speed climbing excised from the equation, the revised scoring paradigm for bouldering and lead involves a maximum of 200 points. In bouldering, athletes amass points by advancing through various “zones” on the wall (5 points for the low zone, 10 points for the high zone) and for attaining the top hold (25 points). Deductions are made for attempts, and an impeccable bouldering round, featuring the successful completion of four boulder problems on the first attempt, garners 100 points.

In lead, climbers earn points by successfully gripping the top 40 holds, with points accruing as they ascend higher. Should an athlete progress toward the next hold but fail to secure it, they receive an additional 0.1 points to their preceding score.

Competitive Landscape

Twenty men and twenty women compete in the combined bouldering/lead disciplines. In the speed category, there are 14 competitors for both men and women. All climbers partake in two speed runs on distinct walls, subsequently being ranked 1-14 based on their fastest time, which determines the pairings for the elimination rounds.

Top Team USA Contenders for the 2024 Paris Olympics

Sam Watson: Clocking in at 4.79 seconds, Watson, 18, is the current men’s speed world record holder. He concluded 2023 ranked eighth globally in men’s speed and clinched gold at the Pan American Games in Santiago last year.

Natalia Grossman: Grossman wrapped up last year as the top-ranked athlete in women’s bouldering and fifth in the combined bouldering and lead category. She secured gold in bouldering and lead at the Pan American Games.

Brooke Raboutou: Raboutou, who finished fifth in Tokyo, is the progeny of former climbing world cup champions Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou and Didier Raboutou. Brooke is also fluent in French, her father’s native tongue.

International Athletes to Watch at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret, the reigning women’s gold medalist, will be competing in the lead/bouldering events. Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslav is a key contender in women’s speed, while Japan’s Ai Mori is a formidable force in women’s bouldering/lead.

In men’s speed, Indonesia’s Rahmad Adi Mulyon and Veddriq Leonardo will pose significant challenges to Watson for a podium finish. Australia’s Jakob Schubert, a four-time world champion, is also a strong contender in men’s lead/bouldering.