Sport Climbing added to Paris 2024 Olympic Games

On Saturday 7 December the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board officially confirmed that Sport Climbing has been included on the sports programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. While ratification was expected, the big news is that the total number of medal events at Paris 2024 will be four, two more than at Tokyo 2020. In practice, the current Combined comprised of Speed, Boulder and Lead which will make its debut in Japan in 8 months time will disappear altogether and replaced by the events Speed and the combined Boulder & Lead.

Needless to say, the announcement has been met with applause by the many athletes who initially struggled to accept the Combined formula arguing that Speed had too little in common with the other two disciplines. It has to be said though that it is probably thanks to accepting this controversial formula that the IFSC has now succeeded in doubling of medals and creating two separate events. Sport climbing will make its historic debut in Tokyo with 40 athletes, while in Paris 2024 this number increases to 68.