Competition climbing

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Climbing
Jakob Schubert in the competition lead climbing final of the 2018 IFSC World Championships
Lists
Climbers Piolet d'Or winners IFSC victories Equipment Knots Historical events Grade milestones Eight-thousanders Terminology
Types of rock climbing
Aid Big wall Multi-pitch Bouldering Highball Competition Speed Free Sport Traditional Solo Free solo Deep-water solo Rope solo Top roping
Types of mountaineering
Alpine Mixed Via ferrata Himalayan Alpine style Expedition style Ice Dry-tooling Scrambling Hillwalking
Other types
Buildering Canyoning Crane Grass Commercial Parkour Pole Rock hopping Rooftopping Roof hacking Slide Tree
Key actions
Abseiling Belaying Leading Redpointing Jumaring Self rescuing Simul climbing Techniques Traversing
Key terms
Anchor First ascent FFA FFFA Grade Route Beta Guide Pitch
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Competition climbing is a form of regulated rock climbing competition held indoors on purpose-built artificial climbing walls (earlier versions were held on external natural rock surfaces). The three competition climbing disciplines are lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing. The result of multiple disciplines can be used in a "combined" format to determine an all-round winner (or the "combined" winner). Competition climbing is sometimes called "sport climbing", which is the name given to pre-bolted lead climbing.^[1]

In competition lead climbing, competitors start at the bottom of a pre-bolted sport climbing route to reach the highest hold possible within a set time limit on a single attempt, making sure to clip the rope into pre-placed quickdraws while ascending. In competition bouldering, competitors climb short problems without a rope, with an emphasis on the number of problems completed, and the attempts necessary to do so. In competition speed climbing, competitors climb a standardised route using a top rope, in the shortest time possible.

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) regulates and organizes the international competition climbing events, including the biennial IFSC Climbing World Championships, and the annual IFSC Climbing World Cup that is held as a series of events during the year. Competition climbing was featured at the Summer Olympics for the first time in 2020, in a once-off single combined format per gender, with the results based on a combination of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing performances. The format for climbing at the 2024 Olympics has speed climbing as a standalone event, although lead and boulder are still a combined event.