 Jakob Schubert in the competition lead climbing final of the 2018 IFSC World Championships | |
| Highest governing body | IFSC |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Sport climbing |
| First played | 1985 (Lead), 1998 (Bouldering, Speed) |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Individual sport |
| Equipment | Shoes, chalk, harness, rope, quickdraws |
| Venue | Indoor climbing wall |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | Since 2020 |
| Paralympic | to be included in 2028 |
| World Games | 2005–present |
| Part of a series on |
| Climbing |
|---|
| Lists |
| Types of rock climbing |
| Types of mountaineering |
| Other types |
| Key actions |
| Key terms |
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 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.[1]
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.
The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) regulates and organizes the international competition climbing events, including the biennial IFSC Climbing World Championships, and the annual IFSC Climbing World Cup that is held as a series of events during the year. Competition climbing was featured at the Summer Olympics for the first time in 2020, in a once-off single combined format per gender, with the results based on a combination of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing performances. The format for climbing at the 2024 Olympics has speed climbing as a standalone event, although lead and boulder are still a combined event.