Sport Climbing at the 2024 Summer Olympics: Everything You Need to Know

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will see the return of sport climbing, making its second appearance since its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. Here’s a comprehensive guide to what you can expect from this exciting and challenging sport in Paris.

Competition Schedule

The climbing competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics is scheduled to run from August 5 to August 10. The events will take place at the Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue, located in Le Bourget, Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris. This venue, along with the aquatic center in Saint-Denis, is one of the two sports facilities specifically built for the Games.

Competition Schedule:

Event ↓ / Date →	Mon 5 Aug 24	Tue 6 Aug 24	Wed 7 Aug 24	Thu 8 Aug 24	Fri 9 Aug 24	Sat 10 Aug 24
Men’s combined	B		L		F
Men’s speed		Q		F
Women’s combined		B		L		F
Women’s speed	Q		F

Legend:

• B: Boulder semifinal
• L: Lead semifinal
• Q: Qualification
• F: Final

Competition Format

For the Paris 2024 Olympics, the format for competition climbing has been updated from the Tokyo 2020 Games. The sport will feature four separate medal events:

1. Boulder-and-Lead Combined: This event will see climbers compete in both bouldering and lead climbing phases. Points will be awarded based on performance in these two phases, with the athlete accumulating the most points declared the winner. The maximum score for the boulder phase is 100, and the lead phase also has a maximum of 100 points.
2. Speed Climbing: This will be a standalone event where climbers race side-by-side up a 15-meter wall. It follows the standard single-elimination format.

Boulder-and-Lead Scoring:

• Boulder Phase: Athletes can earn up to 100 points, with scoring based on zones and top holds.
• Lead Phase: Athletes can earn up to 100 points based on the number of moves completed on the route.

Qualification

A total of 68 quota places are available for Paris 2024: 28 for speed climbing and 40 for the boulder-and-lead combined events. Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can enter a maximum of four climbers (two per gender) in the two separate formats.

Qualification Process:

• IFSC Climbing World Championships 2023: Held from August 1 to 12 in Bern, Switzerland, this event awarded ten spots based on performance.
• Continental Qualification Tournaments: Held from September to December 2023, these tournaments awarded additional quota places.
• Olympic Qualifier Series Events: Scheduled between March and June 2024 for further qualification.

France, as the host country, has reserved spots for climbers if they do not otherwise qualify. Additionally, quota places are reserved for NOCs under the Universality rule.

Medal Summary

Medal Table:

Rank	NOC	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Totals (0 entries)	0	0	0	0

Medalists:

Event	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Men’s combined
Men’s speed
Women’s combined
Women’s speed

References

1. “Paris 2024 – Sport Climbing”. Paris 2024.
2. “Sport Climbing Officially Added To Paris 2024 Sports Programme!”. International Federation of Sport Climbing.
3. “Olympic Games Paris 2024”. International Federation of Sport Climbing.
4. “Paris 2024 – Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue”. Paris 2024.
5. Walker, Noah (23 December 2021). “The Paris Olympics – A New Scoring System”. Gripped.
6. Hart, Robert (3 August 2021). “Climbing Makes Historic Olympic Debut In Controversial New Format (Photos)”. Forbes.
7. “New Boulder & Lead Score Distribution to be Applied in Morioka, Iwate”. International Federation of Sport Climbing.
8. Walker, Noah (5 March 2022). “Chris Sharma’s New Gym Hosts Paris Olympic Format Debut Competition”. Gripped.
9. “Japan to host IFSC Boulder & Lead World Cup this fall”. International Federation of Sport Climbing.
10. Martin, Marta (13 December 2022). “How to qualify for sport climbing (speed) at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained”. International Olympic Committee.
11. Martin, Marta (13 December 2022). “How to qualify for sport climbing (boulder and lead) at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained”. International Olympic Committee.
12. Berry, Natalie (17 May 2022). “Paris 2024 Olympic Sport Climbing Qualification System Announced”. UKC.
13. “IFSC Calendar 2023: The Start of a New Olympic Qualification Path” (Press release). International Federation of Sport Climbing.
14. “Qualification System – Games of the XXXIII Olympiad – Sport Climbing Boulder & Lead” (PDF). International Federation of Sport Climbing.
15. “Qualification System – Games of the XXXIII Olympiad – Sport Climbing Speed” (PDF). International Federation of Sport Climbing.
16. “Paris 2024 Olympic Competition Schedule – Sport Climbing” (PDF). Paris 2024.

Stay tuned for more updates as the 2024 Summer Olympics approach and the sport climbing excitement builds!

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FAQs

1. What is sport climbing?

Answer: Sport climbing is a competitive climbing discipline where athletes climb outdoor or indoor routes using fixed anchors for protection. It includes various formats such as bouldering, lead climbing, and speed climbing.

2. When and where will sport climbing take place at the 2024 Summer Olympics?

Answer: Sport climbing will take place from August 5 to August 10, 2024, at the Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue in Le Bourget, a suburb of Paris.

3. How many medal events will there be in sport climbing at Paris 2024?

Answer: There will be four medal events: two separate disciplines per gender—boulder-and-lead combined, and speed climbing.

4. How has the competition format changed from Tokyo 2020 to Paris 2024?

Answer: In Paris 2024, the boulder-and-lead phases will be separate from the speed climbing format, whereas Tokyo 2020 featured a combined format with one medal event for each gender encompassing bouldering, lead climbing, and speed climbing.

5. What are the scoring systems for boulder-and-lead combined events?

Answer: In boulder-and-lead combined events, climbers earn points from both boulder and lead phases. The maximum score is 200 points, with 100 points possible for each phase. Points are awarded based on completed problems and moves on the routes.

6. How is the speed climbing event structured?

Answer: Speed climbing will be a standalone event where climbers race side-by-side up a 15-meter wall. It follows a single-elimination format.

7. How many climbers will compete in sport climbing at Paris 2024?

Answer: A total of 68 climbers will compete—28 in speed climbing and 40 in the boulder-and-lead combined events.

8. How can climbers qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics?

Answer: Climbers can qualify through the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships, continental qualification tournaments, and Olympic Qualifier Series events held between March and June 2024.

9. How many quota places are available for each discipline?

Answer: There are 28 quota places for speed climbing and 40 for the boulder-and-lead combined events.

10. Will France have automatic qualification spots?

Answer: Yes, as the host country, France has reserved spots for climbers if they do not otherwise qualify.

11. What is the Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue?

Answer: The Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue is one of the two sports facilities built specifically for the 2024 Summer Olympics. It is located in Le Bourget, Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.

12. What is the competition schedule for sport climbing?

Answer: The schedule is as follows:

• Men’s combined: August 5 (boulder semifinal), August 7 (lead semifinal), August 10 (final)
• Men’s speed: August 6 (qualification), August 9 (final)
• Women’s combined: August 6 (boulder semifinal), August 8 (lead semifinal), August 10 (final)
• Women’s speed: August 5 (qualification), August 9 (final)

13. How many medal events were there in sport climbing at Tokyo 2020?

Answer: Tokyo 2020 had two medal events: combined boulder-and-lead and speed climbing.

14. What are the major changes in scoring for the boulder-and-lead combined events?

Answer: The scoring system now focuses separately on bouldering and lead climbing phases, with climbers earning points based on their performance in each phase rather than a combined score from all three disciplines.

15. How does the speed climbing format work?

Answer: In speed climbing, athletes race up a 15-meter wall side-by-side. The climber who reaches the top first wins. The event follows a single-elimination format.

16. How many climbers can each National Olympic Committee (NOC) enter?

Answer: Each NOC can enter a maximum of four climbers (two per gender) in the two separate formats.

17. What is the maximum number of points an athlete can earn in the boulder phase?

Answer: Athletes can earn a maximum of 100 points in the boulder phase.

18. How are points awarded in the lead climbing phase?

Answer: Points are awarded based on the number of moves completed on the route, with the final 40 moves being the most valuable. The last 10 moves earn 4 points each, the previous 10 earn 3 points each, and so on.

19. How did the boulder-and-lead scoring system debut before the Paris 2024 Olympics?

Answer: The new scoring system was first used at the Sharma Climbing test event in Barcelona in March 2022 and later at the IFSC Climbing European Championships and World Cup series in Munich and Morioka.

20. Where can I find more information about sport climbing at Paris 2024?

Answer: More information can be found on the official Paris 2024 website, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) website, and various press releases and updates from these organizations.