VAIL, Colo. — The world’s best athletes in climbing are in Vail this weekend for a World Cup competition at the GoPro Mountain Games, just about one year before they face off for the first time at the Olympics.
Climbing is one of several new sports being added to the Olympics in 2020, and climber Drew Ruana with Team USA Climbing says the heat is on to make the Olympic Team.
“Tension is higher than ever, and everyone is trying to do their best to qualify,” Ruana said.
In the first year at the Olympics, only 20 men and 20 women worldwide will make it to the games in climbing. Each country is capped at two men and two women, making the number of spots narrow.
It’s one reason athletes like Nathaniel Coleman with Team USA Climbing are taking some time in Colorado to get in extra training on the walls at Eagle Climbing and Fitness in Eagle.
“We’ve known about climbing being in the Olympics for the past three years,” Coleman said. “As it’s gotten closer, it’s become something I think about more and more each day.”
Sport climbing has three disciplines. The first is called bouldering, with athletes on a fairly short wall but using a lot of skill to maneuver around the foot and hand placements.
“Bouldering is short walls and difficulty based. The further you get the more points you get,” Ruana said.
The second event is called lead and Zack Galla with Team USA Climbing says it’s like bouldering but on a much taller wall.
“Lead climbing is different from bouldering in that it’s got taller walls, usually 60 feet,” Galla said. “The climbing in that style is more endurance based.”
The third discipline and one that people tend to like watching the most is speed, with climbers practically running up a wall to see who can get to the top the fastest.
“It's standard throughout the world -- the placement of the holds. The texture of the wall is standardized across the world,” Ruana said. “That one is just start and get to the top as fast as you can.”
Athletes say in the past they could focus on one discipline and get really good at it, but given the tough climb to get on the Olympic team, they are now working on all three disciplines to make sure they have the best shot at getting to the Olympics next summer in Tokyo.
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