What is Olympic Sport Climbing? American teenager sets record with 15-meter wall climb in under 5 seconds
Sam Watson, 18-year-old, set a speed climbing world record of 4.75 seconds at the Olympics. At a speed climbing event, spectators must be vigilant as athletes can scale the 15-meter wall in around five seconds. Climbing first appeared at the Tokyo Games in 2021, having been introduced to the Olympic radar at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games in 2018. The sport, along with skateboarding and surfing, aimed to attract younger audiences. It will continue to be part of the program for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
What's Does Olympic Sport Climbing?
Sport climbing in the Olympics consists of three disciplines: bouldering, lead, and speed.
Bouldering: Athletes climb a 4.5-meter wall without ropes, aiming to reach the top in the fewest attempts within a limited time.
Lead: Climbers attempt to go as high as possible on a 15-meter wall within six minutes.
Speed: In one-on-one elimination rounds and timed races, climbers scale a 15-meter wall with a five-degree incline. Top men complete the climb in less than six seconds, while the best women typically finish in under seven seconds.
Changes from Tokyo 2021
India at Olympics, Day 12 schedule: Mirabai Chanu in weightlifting, Vinesh Phogat in wrestling gold match & lots of athletics action
In these Games, speed climbing is a separate event, while bouldering and lead remain combined. This change allows climbers to focus on their specialties. The scoring system has also been updated. Unlike Tokyo, where scores from each discipline were multiplied
