Sports climbing at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

This is it! Sports climbing competitions are now officially an Olympic sport, climbing’s champions will take part in the upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The news was broken yesterday after the 29th IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro; this long-awaited acknowledgment comes after years of effort in the field of a sport that is not only young but which is also increasingly attracting young climbers. Full credit therefore to those who believed in and fought for a goal which, thirty years ago when competitions began (in Italy, at Bardonecchia and immediately afterwards at Arco with its Rock Master) few were able to comprehend. It was a dream, better still a vision, that is now a reality.

What now lies in store are four years of utmost importance. The road to the Tokyo Olympics will require considerable effort, because this is a unique opportunity. Defining the competition formula is key. And it will be just as important to continue along the road of making the climbing movement grow even bigger. This hard work involves everyone, from the International Federation of Sports Climbing (IFSC) to the national federations, the athletes and all the fans. It is an honor to be at the Olympics. It means becoming part of the Olympus of sports. It signifies that this sport has matured. Climbing, for all its history, deserves this recognition!

Climbing will be a new Olympic sport in 2020 in Tokyo together with baseball/softball, surfing, karate and skateboarding. The IOC Session also announced that the locations for these new sports, pending final approval, should be in the '' Odaiba Area “ of the Tokyo Metropolis

There is huge satisfaction within the climbing world, as the President of the IFSC Marco Scolaris explains after guiding sport climbing along this difficult path to the Olympics "We are so happy that Sport Climbing will be participating in the Games of Tokyo,” says “The Olympics have been our dream for quite some time, and now the hard work has finally paid off. We would like to thank the IOC for extending a truly unique opportunity to our sport. e have reached the final hold of our unbelievable climb, but another climb awaits us. Our team is committed to preparing Sport Climbing for the Olympic Games, and over the next four years we will continue to work with the IOC to do so."