Climbers hope Paris paves the way for smoother ascent at future Games

CAPE TOWN – Sport climbing’s introduction to the Olympics in Tokyo was not without controversy but, with a growing global audience and extra gold medals available in Paris, the president of its governing body hopes for a smoother ascent in the future.

Marco Scolaris, president of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), believes the issues that plagued the sport in Tokyo in 2021 have now largely been resolved.

Climbers across bouldering, lead and speed had to compete for a single combined gold medal on offer three years ago, despite the stark differences in the disciplines.

In Paris, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allocated gold medals for both the men and women’s speed climbing, and combined bouldering and lead, events.

Speed will have its own medal in Paris with the previous Games considered a success, despite the backlash from many participants.

“We accepted this compromise believing that when the IOC officials came to watch (in Tokyo), they will see immediately the difference between the disciplines and that it is natural to split the events into different medals,” Scolaris said. “The decision was made not to leave any discipline out in view of a long cycle of development of the sport that would eventually give each one the recognition it deserves. Where we were not good was to explain this to our community.”

Scolaris said being on the programme in Tokyo boosted the sport’s visibility and that there were now almost 100 countries affiliated with the IFSC.

“We see that many national Olympic committees are aware of the sport and the attraction it has on younger generations,” he added.

“Maybe they are not ready to invest now, but it has opened their eyes and they see the opportunities for investment in the future. The number of climbing gyms has definitely increased, especially in the United States, but we cannot say if this is because of Tokyo or if it is a natural trend.”

The IFSC has seen steady financial growth since its formation 17 years ago but, again, will not receive a share of the TV revenue from the Paris Olympics.

“In 2007, we had an annual budget of €150,000 (S$220,000). This year, it will be almost €6 million. The IOC is helping us, but not in the same way as the other international federations that are (full) Olympic sports,” Scolaris said.

“The so-called ‘local organising committee sports’ in Paris are not sharing the TV revenue. It is unfair because we are participating in producing the show, but this was one of the conditions that was put in place in the beginning. We tried to change the minds of our colleagues (at the IOC) but could not.”

Scolaris said the Olympic movement must reconsider how it treats Russian and Belarusian athletes who, he believes, should not be punished for the actions of their governments over the Ukraine invasion. There will be no climbers from either nation in Paris, even under neutral flags.

“Some say sport should not be politicised, but I think we should have a political stand, being that we are neutral. We need to protect the athletes of the world,” he said.

“We made a mistake to react very emotionally to the aggression of the Russian government in Ukraine because it was something that was totally unexpected.

“But the position of sport should be neutral. That doesn’t mean we don’t say the Russians did something that is unacceptable, but if we do (punish) athletes then we must apply the same standards to many other countries in the world.

“We are defending athletes in some countries that are clearly not democratic but, at the same time, did not defend Russian athletes.”

Sport climbing is well established in Europe, and growing quickly in the US and Japan, but it is lagging in the developing world.

“We are behind in Africa. That would need a lot of investment and we don’t have that capital. But it is a matter of time. We are creating the interest and the foundations and, as soon as we can, we will invest in the continent,” Scolaris added. REUTERS