Latest news with #InternationalFederationofSportClimbing
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The first para-climbing World Cup kicks off next week - here's how to watch it and everything else you need to know
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability subject to change. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Former world champion Matthew Phillips takes to the wall. | Credit: Getty Images Competitive paraclimbing is finally back. After a lengthy seven-month absence, the first paraclimbing World Cup of the year gets underway next week in Salt Lake City, USA. With months of training behind them, the world's best paraclimbers will battle it out to claim gold in the first of three paraclimbing World Cup events held throughout the year. Advertisement But what exactly is this paraclimbing, and how does it work? Read on for everything you need to know about this thrilling sport and its upcoming World Cup competition. What is paraclimbing The term paraclimbing describes any form of indoor or outdoor climbing performed by someone living with a disability. It can be amateur or professional, and can manifest in multiple climbing disciplines, like lead climbing, bouldering, or any other style. People living with disabilities have been climbing for all of human history, but the sport only became official in 2003, at the first international paraclimbing competition. Advertisement Eight years later, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) organized the first paraclimbing World Championships, and the sport has become increasingly professionalized ever since. How does the paraclimbing World Cup work? The IFSC World Cup is the world's premier paraclimbing competition, pitting the best of the best against each other in three intense competitions over the year. The first takes place from May 20 to 21 in Salt Lake City, USA. The second will be in Innsbruck, Austria, from June 23 to 24. And the final round is in Laval, France, from 24 to 26 October. The IFSC World Cup incorporates a wide variety of climbers living with all sorts of disabilities. Competitors are divided into three broad classes: 'blind sport class', 'amputees', and 'limited reach, power, and stability'. They're then further categorized depending on the nature of their disability. Visually-impaired paraclimber Linn Poston hits the wall | Credit: Getty Images In total, climbers from ten different men's and women's sub-classes compete in lead climbing competitions, where they race to the top of a wall and clip their rope to different checkpoints. Advertisement Athletes in the limited reach, power, and stability class use static movements to power themselves up the wall, while those in the amputees class have to make do without limbs that would otherwise be vital to non-disabled climbers. Visually impaired climbers in the blind sport class are assisted by guides on the ground, who describe the route as they feel their way up. How to watch the paraclimbing World Cup There are a few different ways to watch the paraclimbing World Cup depending on your location and budget. Lucky viewers in the US and Canada can catch all three World Cup competitions for free on the IFSC YouTube channel. You can also watch live coverage and reaction on the Olympics channel via Advertisement Viewers in the United Kingdom and Europe can stream the competition exclusively on Warner Bros Discovery's streaming services. For UK and Irish viewers, that's TNT Sports, which you can access via a subscription to Discovery+ Premium. If you're in Europe, you can stream the World Cup on Eurosport or via the Discovery+ platform. Savannah Shanton competes in the 2018 IFSC World Championships | Credit: Getty Images If you're travelling overseas during the World Cup, you can catch all the action using a VPN. These handy private networks create a private connection between your device and the internet, meaning the service can't work out where you are. The experts at our sister site TechRadar recommend NordVPN. NordVPN, featuring a 30-day, money-back guarantee Advertisement Our sister site TechRadar recommends NordVPN for its speedy connections, trustworthy security and the fact it works with Android, Apple, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PS4 and loads more. You also get a money-back guarantee and 24/7 Deal For more on paraclimbing, check out our interview with three-time world champion and former Team GB athlete Matthew Phillips.
NBC Sports
05-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Sam Watson breaks world record in speed climbing twice in one day
Olympic bronze medalist Sam Watson broke his own world record in speed climbing twice on Saturday. Watson, 19, climbed a 15-meter wall in 4.67 seconds in the semifinals and then 4.64 seconds in the final of a World Cup in Indonesia. His opponent in the final false-started, handing the title to Watson, but the American was still motivated to chase another fast time alone. 'NFL players do the two-minute drill where they do a simulation of going through processes,' Watson said, according to the International Federation of Sport Climbing, 'and if I want to break a PB in practice I will do the same. I pretend I win gold, my opponent false started, and I just want to give the crowd one more run, especially this crowd in here in Bali. Everything just went right.' Watson's previous world record was 4.74 seconds from the Olympic bronze-medal final in Paris. In all, he has broken the world record six times in the last 13 months, bringing it down from 4.90 to 4.64 seconds. Earlier this spring, Watson said, 'I know the world record will continue to be broken from my perspective, I don't control what the other athletes do, but I've put a lot of work in through the offseason and I'm ready to push the times down.' In speed climbing, athletes go head-to-head, scaling identical walls as fast as they can. All top-level IFSC competitions have identical holds along the wall, allowing for world records in the event. A standardized 15-meter wall was introduced in 2011, when Qixin Zhong of China set the first world record of 6.26 seconds. SAM WATSON DESTROYED THE MEN'S SPEED WORLD RECORD TWICE IN BALI!! The US-climber 🇺🇸 won his semi-final race with 4.67 seconds, then setting a new mark in the race for gold with 4.64!! @USAClimbing @TeamUSA | #WorldClimbing
The Citizen
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Gauteng climber set to represent SA in Europe
Luke Westman, a Fourways climber, has once again made Gauteng proud by qualifying to take part in two major International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) competitions this June in Europe. Westman was part of the Youth World Championship Team, who travelled to China in August 2024, where he obtained his Protea Youth Climbing Colours. 'After getting to compete at the Youth World Championships last year, I'm both nervous and excited to be able to compete in the Open IFSC World Cups. While there's some pressure, I feel incredibly privileged to represent my country on the world stage. 'Competing in Bern, Switzerland, from June 13 to 15, and Innsbruck, Austria, from June 25 to 29, is a dream come true. I'm ready to embrace the challenge, push my limits, and grow as an athlete among the best in the world.' The IFSC Innsbruck World Cup is arguably the most prestigious and favourite event for athletes to take part in. Westman, who also coaches younger climbers for local club, INSIDEedge Climbing, trains 5–6 days a week at CityROCK in Randburg, under the watchful guidance of head coach Devin Sender. 'I am very proud of Luke, who started his journey with me at the young age of 9, at Crawford Lonehill. His talent and hard work have paid off, making him one of the top climbers in our country. I am privileged to be his coach,' said Sender. These competitions do not come cheap, and athletes have the responsibility of funding their trips 100%, with the help of sponsors. Gauteng Climbing secretary Bridgette Erdey said: 'Luke is one of many Gauteng Climbing athletes who will be travelling overseas, representing the South African Climbing Federation and IFSC Africa this year. 'Families who fund these trips make huge sacrifices to make the dreams of these athletes come true, if it is even at all possible. As a province, we want to stand behind Luke and the rest of our athletes, and call on public and private entities to assist with funds to keep South Africa and Gauteng on the world stage. You can do so by contacting Carmen Bouwer on president@ Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Absolutely the right decision for the sport of climbing": lead and bouldering to have separate medals at 2028 LA Olympics
"Absolutely the right decision for the sport of climbing": lead and bouldering to have separate medals at 2028 LA Olympics When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Miho Nonaka climbing during the 2020 Olympic Games. | Credit: Getty Images In news that will delight fans of competition climbing, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that there will be three separate climbing events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games: Speed, Lead and Boulder. Advertisement At the 2024 Paris Olympics, there were two disciplines up for grabs for the world's elite climbers: Speed, and the Combined Lead and Boulder. Now the latter has been split into separate events. It's a move that will have specialists in each pursuit rubbing their hands in anticipation. Adam Ondra during the 2024 Olympic Games' lead and bouldering competition | Credit: Getty Images A statement from the IOC explains the board has approved six events for men's and women's Lead, Speed, and Boulder climbing, with a total quota of 76 athletes (38 women and 38 men). It's a move that's been welcomed by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). "From the very beginning of our Olympic journey we have always had the target of three sets of medals for our athletes. Each of our disciplines has its own unique strengths, and now everyone will see these at LA28. LA28 will be an even bigger celebration for climbing," says President Marco Scolaris. The move has been welcomed by the International Federation of Sport Climbing | Credit: Getty Images Austrian climber Jakob Schubert also signalled his praise for the decision. As a lead climbing specialist, he'll be considering whether or not to pursue the competition in 2028, having won the bronze medal for the Combined Lead and Boulder event in 2024. Advertisement "It is not only absolutely the right decision for the sport of climbing, but also a strong statement in favour of its international popularity," Schubert tells UK Climbing. "Despite being held twice with compromised solutions, climbing has come a long way since the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, and now it's nice to have the certainty that the sport will be held in L.A. as it should be."
