Rock Climbing in the Summer Olympics (Not ’til 2020)
By Rocky Thompson on February 18th, 2010
The number of sports has doubled in the Winter Olympics, while the summer games have remained relatively static. We have a halfpipe in the winter games, but skateboarding and surfing haven’t gotten the nod from the International Olympic Committee.
Skating and surfing will need to wait a bit longer. I suspect they’ll one day be included in the games since those sports are so marketable. In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with rock climbing. The IOC officially recognized the International Federation of Sport Climbing as the governing body of the sport. This is the first step to getting into the games, and we might see sport climbing in the Summer Olympics as soon as 2020. Sign your 8-year-old up for climbing class tomorrow; you only have 12 more years to make an Olympian.
via Adventure Life
Tags: Climbing
I personally am not very stoked on this. I was attracted to skateboarding because not only does everyone not do it everyone can’t do it. I am new to climbing and feel like it runs on the same lines. I feel that it is cool that both of these sports can thrive in their own economy with primarily core people. It would help climbing a lot to be in the olympics as far as money going to companies and the sport getting more popular. It also hurts the sport as well. The more people going climbing with little experience is dangerous. For instance I talked to a kid while climbing this last summer who thought it was fine to lower off a single carabiner or draw at the top of a climb. I’m not expert and am not one to care if anyone can climb to a certain grade. I do care when people practice unsafe climbing and endanger themselves and others.
I know I sound a bit negative but I enjoy how climbing is growing by itself while remaining a core awesome and safe sport.
I need rock climbing to be in the olympics! By 2020 I will be the right age and everything. Climbing is my #1 hobby.
I would agree with jake that climbing safety should be an emphasis entertained by the IOC. With new climbers it’s important they learn how to safely ascend and descend the rock. Since ,if climbing is included in the olympics, it would increase the number of participants. Olympic status would also change the attitude of climbing in general. There would be many participants who cared about nothing except the send of the hardest rout they can possibly do without respecting technique nor the quality of routs. Thus the most important part of climbing may be forgotten. That is to have fun and enjoy the outdoors.
Thus I would purpose that no matter what type of climbing the IOC decides to incorporate that it be outdoors and on natural rocks or at least outdoors. Another thing that would have to be considered ins performance enhancement drugs and testing for them. Sadly some people will cheat. This would taint climbing.
However, there are many great things that can come with climbing being included in the olympics. The technology improvements that not only make it easier to climb but make climbing safer. With improvements abound long time climbing companies will forced to innovate to compete with new brands. The innovations to come are anybody’s guess.
Changes in attitude and innovations will come from climbing as an olympic sport. Some good and some bad. There will always be great climbers that climb because they enjoy being outside and away from the noise of society. There will also always be climbers who just want to send the hardest rout they can. Thus we must never forget that inclusion in the olympics will be a double edged sword for climbing and as climbers no matter what happens we need to deal with it.
Except for the fact that most pro climbers would fail for thc… Ha.