The International Olympic Committee Board announced this week that it plans to split up the lead and boulder climbing disciplines in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Compared to Paris 2024, the 2028 Olympics will admit nearly 12% more climbing athletes鈥�76, instead of 68鈥攁nd offer three additional climbing medals.

Sport climbing鈥檚 Olympic presence has come a long way since its 2021 debut. In the Tokyo Olympics, the three disciplines of lead, boulder, and speed were awkwardly combined into one super discipline that required athletes to compete across all disciplines. The combined format proved a massive challenge for some specialized climbers. For example, in Tokyo, Adam Ondra took second in lead, but placed fourth in speed and sixth in boulder. For a moment, it looked like Ondra would win gold, but was such that Alberto Gin茅s L贸pez took the gold by placing first in speed, seventh in boulder, and fourth in lead. (Scores were determined by multiplying the scoring results of each discipline.)

In 2024, things improved: the IOC separated the hyper-specialized discipline of speed climbing, but kept lead and boulder lumped together. The climbing community鈥斺€攕till felt that none of these disciplines ought to be grouped together.

According to the , the International Olympic Committee (IOC) explained that specific athlete quotas for the 2028 Games across the three events will 鈥渂e finalized in the Olympic Qualification System.鈥� This will also clarify whether climbers can compete in multiple events.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about the news that all three disciplines will be separate at the 2028 Summer Olympics,鈥� says Natalia Grossman, who competed in the lead/boulder event in 2024. 鈥淔rom the very beginning, the community has been pushing for three sets of medals鈥攁nd now we鈥檝e finally got them!鈥�

Jesse Grupper, who also competed in lead/boulder in the 2024 Games, felt similarly. 鈥淪ince climbing first became a discipline in the Olympics, this event has always pushed athletes to conform to the disciplines decided on by the Olympics,鈥� says Grupper. 鈥淭his marks a new era where the core disciplines of climbing are determining what happens at the Olympics and not the other way round. As an athlete with a focus in lead, I鈥檓 over the moon to have an opportunity to vie for a spot to do what I love on the biggest stage in the world.鈥�

Another exciting development in Olympic climbing is the at the 2028 Games. Significant groundwork has already been laid in establishing classifications for the rollout of paralympic climbing in Los Angeles.

In addition to its announcement regarding the new climbing format on Wednesday, the IOC revealed a number of other changes for the LA 2028 Games. of these changes is to achieve better gender parity. For example, the number of women鈥檚 football (soccer) teams increased to 16, while the quota for men鈥檚 soccer teams decreased to 12, swinging the gender imbalance in the other direction. The IOC also announced a new weight class for women boxers, and added five new sports, including cricket, flag football, and lacrosse.

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If fans were craving more heart-pounding tension after yesterday鈥檚 nail-biting , they got it this morning as the women鈥檚 of the Combined discipline funneled into the Lead climax. Slovenia鈥檚 Janja Garnbret was leading the field, but just barely鈥� some struggles from Garnbret on the last boulder (and, worrisomely, a potential finger injury) meant that other competitors were within striking distance on the scorecards. Team USA鈥檚 Brooke Raboutou, for example, was only trailing Garnbret by 0.4 points after the Boulder portion; the quartet of Australia鈥檚 Oceana Mackenzie, France鈥檚 Oriane Bertone, Great Britain鈥檚 Erin McNeice, and Austria鈥檚 Jessica Pilz were all hovering around 59 points apiece and still in the mix too. Such close scores set a story in motion for a that will be remembered and revered for years to come.

Here are the highlights.

Chaehyun Seo Sets an Early High Point

Someone had to set the early standard on the lead route of black boomerangs, white hexagons, and blue half-sphere volumes, and South Korea鈥檚 Chaehyun Seo did so with aplomb. In fact, even before she set the high point, she confidently cut feet several times to cheers from the crowd. She eventually cruised onto the headwall and fell with a route score of 76.1 (out of 100); it would stand as the mark to beat on the wall for several subsequent competitors鈥� attempts.

The Combined Scores Come into Play

Great Britain鈥檚 Erin McNeice was not able to reach Seo鈥檚 robust high point鈥擬cNeice fell significantly lower on the wall while attempting a right-hand cross-move. But McNeice鈥檚 attempt, even if inferior to Seo鈥檚, gave everyone a reality check, of sorts; it reminded us all of the unique scoring of the Combined event, since McNeice surged to first place on the scorecards when her 68.1 Lead mark was added to her Boulder points (59.5). It鈥檚 unlikely we will see this unique Boulder and Lead Combined format ever again, but McNeice鈥檚 performance throughout the finals was a perfect example of why it鈥檚 an exhilarating way to structure a competition.

The Crowd Provided a Big Home-Court Advantage

It鈥檚 worth acknowledging how much the crowd of 6,000 spectators added to the vibe, which was also evident in the men鈥檚 final yesterday. Take, for example, the way the crowd clapped rhythmically in support of Oceana Mackenzie, or the way they chanted in unison for Oriane Bertone鈥斺€淥r-i-ane! Or-i-ane! Or-i-ane!鈥� Sure, both Mackenzie and Bertone probably would have liked to crank a little higher on the lead route (each fell below the headwall), but a highlight for each of their performances was the vociferous support from the audience. It鈥檚 not something normally heard at World Cups鈥攁t least not to such a loud and unified degree鈥攑erhaps because the Olympic crowd was comprised of just as many 鈥渃asual鈥� climbing fans as hardcore fans. Whatever the reason and impetus for such enthusiastic crowd noise, it was really cool.

Japan鈥檚 Ai Mori Proved Her Lead-Climbing Prowess

It鈥檚 hard to pick a single highlight for Japan鈥檚 Ai Mori. At a pure entertainment level, she fell while launching for the top hold鈥攖he closest that any finalist would come to sending the route. But by the numbers, such a jaw-dropping performance (a) established a new high point on the route by a significant margin and (b) gave Mori the lead on the Combined scorecards. It鈥檚 probably best to package all of that together and say that Mori鈥檚 attempt on the lead route was one of the most memorable parts of the women鈥檚 final. And it鈥檚 worth noting that if Lead was it鈥檚 own medal event鈥攚hich it may well be soon鈥攕he would have taken Gold.

The Final Showdown

One could make an argument that the last 20 minutes of the final鈥攚ith the successive attempts of Brooke Raboutou, Jessica Pilz, and Janja Garnbret鈥攚ere among the most thrilling and intense moments in the history of the sport. That鈥檚 not a statement that should be made lightly, but consider how everything transpired:

First, Brooke Raboutou took a commanding lead on the Combined scores, her attempt on the lead route only coming to an end when she tried to stabilize and match on a hold in order to clip on the headwall.

Second, Jessica Pilz, in electrifying comparison, was able to make that tricky clip on the headwall, but was not able to overtake Raboutou in the Combined鈥檚 arithmetic of points.

Finally, Janja Garnbret came out and climbed masterfully鈥攈er finger, perhaps tweaked, seemed fine, and her nerves, perhaps rattled by some bouldering woes, seemed as calm as ever. She did not quite send the route; she fell when her fingertips sloughed off the edge of a hold a few moves shy of the top. But her Combined score resulted in a gold medal鈥攎aking Garnbret the sport鈥檚 first back-to-back Olympic gold medalist. Raboutou and Pilz earned silver and bronze, respectively.

It felt like a storybook ending after a long week of toil and drama, highs and lows, happiness and heartbreak for so many competitors. And for the three women atop the podium at the end, it was a surefire passage into comp climbing鈥檚 storied history.

Women鈥檚 Combined Boulder & Lead Sport Climbing final results

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO): 168.5 (Boulder: 84.4, Lead: 84.1)
2. Brooke Raboutou (USA) 156.0 (Boulder: 84.0, Lead 72.0)
3. Jessica Pilz (AUT) 147.4 (Boulder 59.3, Lead 88.1)
4. Ai Mori (JPN) 135.1 (Boulder 39.0, Lead 96.1)
5. Erin McNeice (GBR) 127.6 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 68.1)
6. Chaehyun Seo (KOR) 105.0 (Boulder 28.9, Lead 76.1)
7. Oceana Mackenzie (AUS) 104.8 (Boulder 59.7, Lead 45.1)
8. Oriane Bertone (FRA) 104.5 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 45.0)

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Even before Tuesday’s speed climbing seeding heats at the Paris Olympics, the sport regularly produced jaw-dropping video clips.

Two climbers stand at the base of a 49-foot wall and then rocket upward like Spider Man on a sugar high. The TV camera is stationed behind the climbers, so they look as though they are galloping on all fours across flat ground. But oh no, they’re ascending a sheer man-made rock wall, and boy do they make it look easy.

The latest speed climbing video clip is even more eye-popping than the rest. During the preliminary rounds, American wunderkind Sam Watson broke the world record in the event, reaching the top in 4.75 seconds. The time was 0.04 seconds faster than the previous world record, set by Watson himself back in April. The 18-year-old looks destined to battle for a medal when speed climbing holds its finals in Paris听on Thursday, August 8.

SAM WATSON IS DIFFERENT

He broke HIS OWN WORLD RECORD to advance to the quarterfinals of men’s speed climbing!

: &

鈥� Team USA (@TeamUSA)

Watson’s time boggles the mind: 4.75 seconds is a tiny duration of time for any physical task, let alone ascending a 50-foot wall.

To add context to Watson’s feat, we at 国产吃瓜黑料 grabbed our stopwatches and set out to determine which banal everyday tasks take longer to complete than this amazing ascent.

1. Texting “What u feel like 4 dinner” to your spouse
2. Putting on a climbing harness
3. Tying both sneakers one sneaker
4. Logging into Peacock
5. Watching an Olympic kayaker paddle around an upstream gate
6. Washing one dirty dinner plate by hand
7. Scraping enough snow off your boot to click into your bindings after a hot chocolate break
8. Lubing your bike chain
9. Chalking up before a climb
10. Downloading the latest Chrome update
11. Explaining the saga of and his unfortunate flop to your bewildered parent
12. Setting up a permanent “Do Not Disturb” status for your work Slack
13. Rocking out to the opening guitar riff of Live Wire by M枚tley Cr眉e
14. Scanning a sweet potato in the self-checkout aisle at Whole Foods
15. Shotgunning a Coors Light La Croix
16. Getting on a chairlift
17. Getting off a chairlift
18. Googling “Simone Biles cute kid video”
19. Uploading the video of your own basic and unimpressive rock climb to Instagram

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Ahead of the 2024 season, the International Federation of Sport Climbing has released a to prevent eating disorders among competition climbers. The policy, developed by scientific experts based on the findings of an International Olympic Committee, marks the first time any international federation has taken an active step to limit the pervasiveness of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. Ultimately, it will require athletes to submit to several questionnaires and tests before competing.

鈥淭he new system underscores our commitment to the health of our athletes,鈥� stated IFSC President Marco Scolaris in a press release. 鈥淭he policy will not only help us determine which athletes are most at risk, it will also help raise awareness of the issue, provide help to those who need it, and ensure the rights of each athlete are protected.鈥�

The topic of eating disorders is a long-standing issue within our community. In this very magazine, the topic was addressed by . Fort茅 was likely the first American woman climber to write about the topic. In a follow-up email conversation with her two years ago, she wrote: 鈥淚f I wrote that essay today, the ending would not be tied up in a bow. The impact of an eating disorder on my life has been far-reaching and multi-layered.鈥�

It鈥檚 been nearly 30 years since Fort茅鈥檚 article, and many more climbers have since raised their voices regarding the issue. While it鈥檚 hard to know the exact number of climbers impacted, it鈥檚 clear that the problem is simply not going away. Consequently, many have demanded that the IFSC institute regulations which would enforce healthier standards. Last year, demands reached a boiling point; in July, IFSC Medical Commission President Dr. Eugen Burtscher and IFSC medical committee member Dr. Volker Schoeffl , reporting frustration over the body鈥檚 prolonged inaction. Furthermore, several of the world鈥檚 top climbers, including Janja Garnbret, Alex Megos, and Alannah Yip, also critiqued the IFSC鈥檚 inaction on social media,

鈥淲e have to ask ourselves: what kind of message do we want to send to others?鈥� Garnbret said in an interview at an IFSC Summit. 鈥淒o we want to raise the next generation of skeletons?鈥�

RED-S occurs when an athlete is not consuming enough calories for their activity level. It is a syndrome that may occur unintentionally and go unnoticed by athletes and coaches alike.

The IOC subcommittee noted, 鈥淸RED-S] may be unintentionally exacerbated by 鈥榮ports culture鈥� due to the perceived short-term performance gains from limiting calorie intake.鈥�

Over time, a person with RED-S may have an increased risk of bone fractures or early-onset osteoporosis. They may have a slowed metabolism or exhibit a slower heart rate, both of which may lead to long-term organ damage. Sex hormone production may also decrease; men may experience lower levels of testosterone, while women may lose the ability to menstruate. Thinking can also slow. Studies show malnourished individuals lose gray matter, the brain鈥檚 outermost layer. Additionally, myriad psychological effects may occur as well, and individuals may become irritable, anxious, or depressed.

The default methodology for flagging RED-S is BMI, which is low-cost and easy to apply. However, no singular test, questionnaire, or vital sign may diagnose RED-S. 鈥淭here have been calls for BMI to be used as a yardstick for RED-S, but on its own, a simple BMI test does not provide an accurate picture of a person鈥檚 health and, importantly, would also not be legally defensible,鈥� said IFSC General Director Piero Rebaudengo. 鈥淚n addition, BMI varies greatly from one country to another. Excluding athletes from competition based only on a BMI reading would, therefore be a gross violation of their rights.鈥�

The new policy, therefore, requires various data points from each athlete to be used in initial health assessments. National Federations work in tandem with the IFSC to collect the medical information. To receive their annual international athlete license鈥攚hich is a requirement for participation in any IFSC-sanctioned event鈥攁thletes must submit two questionnaires (one on low energy availability and another on eating disorders) and provide their height, weight, BMI, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Athletes who present signs of an eating disorder or RED-S, named 鈥淎thletes of Concern,鈥� are identified by the following criteria:

• RED-S Questionnaire scores: If an athlete鈥檚 score on either or both questionnaires is equal to or higher than a specific value, it could indicate a problem.
• BMI (Body Mass Index):
  • Males 18 years and older: BMI < 18.5
  • Males 15 鈥� 17 years old: BMI < 18
  • Females 18 years and older: BMI < 18
  • Females 15 鈥� 17 years old: BMI < 17.5
• Heart Rate:
  • 18 years and older: Resting heart rate < 40 bpm
  • Under 18 years old: Resting heart rate < 50 bpm
• Blood Pressure:
  • Blood pressure < 90/60 mm Hg

After being identified, athletes of concern will be required to submit to further testing, including for bone mineral density, total or free testosterone for males, total or free triiodothyronine, total or LDL cholesterol, and, for those under 18, a review for abnormalities of their growth chart. Using this additional data, the athlete will be assigned a final score. Athletes classified as green (no or very low health risk) or yellow (mild health risk) will then be granted a competition license. Athletes classified as orange (moderate to high health risk) will require further evaluation and treatment by the National Federation medical personnel before IFSC events and throughout the season. Those athletes classified as red (very high health risk) will be ineligible for participation in IFSC events until they have demonstrated sufficient recovery and have been cleared to participate by National Federation medical personnel.

The IFSC will also perform random health screenings before events. These screenings may also be used to identify athletes of concern. All athletes of concern will ultimately be reviewed by an external commission composed of two medical doctors with RED-S expertise and one health professional with specific expertise in Climbing.

The full policy may be found . It will be fully implemented for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the Olympic Qualifier Series.

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Over the past four decades, climbing has gone from a countercultural activity taking place entirely on natural rock walls to a highly competitive sport that, for the most part, happens inside. And yet the scene in a climbing gym is very different than a yoga studio or a spinning class. There鈥檚 something special about roping up, even if there is a ceiling over your head. We dispatched our intrepid producer, Maren Larsen, to spend 16 hours straight in a popular Denver climbing gym to understand what exactly keeps people coming back.

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California has been hit with unprecedented blizzards, floods, avalanches, and atmospheric rivers this winter. Some ski resorts near Lake Tahoe have received so much snow that they have temporarily closed due to the moisture. While this is good news for California鈥檚 drought status (and for skiers and snowboarders), rock climbers are not so lucky. One of the state鈥檚 most famous climbing towns, Bishop, is likely to be off-limits this spring due to flooding.听

Located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada range, Bishop is a climbing mecca. Most famously known for its , Bishop has plenty more to offer, including the Happys and Sads and Rock Creek bouldering areas, and the Owens River Gorge for sport. This time of year, temperatures in town are typically in the high 60s, making it the perfect destination for spring break鈥攖hose itching to get on the rocks after a winter indoors. A using data collected from 2019 and 2020 estimates that Bishop and Inyo County receive 88,890 climber-visitors annually (noting that this estimate is visits, not persons, and that one person can account for more than one visit per year).

On March 11, when many climbers were preparing for spring break trips to Bishop or to attend the following weekend鈥檚 annual Flash Foxy Climbing Festival, the area was hit with extensive rain. Floods closed many climbing-access roads, including Buttermilk Road, Chalk Bluff Road (used to access the Happys and Sads), and Lower Rock Creek Road (used to access Rock Creek bouldering). The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also closed all access to the Owens River Gorge area.

The Bishop Climbing Rangers posted devastating photos of each of these roads, first advising where to park if one wanted to walk several miles to the crags, then ultimately sharing that there was nowhere to park to access climbing and advising visitors not to even try. As Inyo County and Bishop are still under disaster declaration at the time of this article鈥檚 publication, several local agencies, including Bishop Climbing Rangers, the Inyo County Sheriff鈥檚 Department, Visit Bishop, and Bishop Area Climbers Coalition, are taking to social media to ask that people stay off of these roads. Despite the shocking photos, the city鈥檚 hashtag #TurnAroundDontDrown, and pleas to not strain emergency-personnel resources during this time, people are still attempting to drive on closed roads and in flooded areas.听

Carma Roper, Public Information Officer for Inyo County, says they are trying to mitigate traffic by informing drivers of the risks of crossing flooded roads. Bishop Climbing Rangers on March 20 of off-road tire tracks in the Tablelands area by those attempting to drive around flooded and rutted-out areas, which damages the fragile desert vegetation.

As one of two climbing festivals to take place annually in Bishop, the Flash Foxy Climbing Festival (formerly known as the Women鈥檚 Climbing Festival) has a big impact on Bishop, both physically and economically. As the days to the festival counted down this year, attendees (myself included) waited to see if it would be canceled and the tickets refunded like it was in 2020 due to the pandemic. Ultimately, Flash Foxy confirmed on March 13 that the festival would not be canceled, but rather just not include any outdoor climbing. Organizers emphasized that their festival is about so much more than climbing鈥攏amely community, learning, and fun.听

While climbing festivals without any actual rock climbing due to weather aren鈥檛 a new phenomenon, Flash Foxy ultimately decided not to issue any refunds, which is rarer. There were many (including myself, ten hours away) who decided that the long journey to Bishop wasn鈥檛 worth it without any climbing, while others decided that the community aspects and events that would still take place made it worthwhile.听

One Flash Foxy ticket holder who ultimately decided not to attend said she was a bit taken aback at the refusal for refunds. 鈥�After a couple back-and-forth emails with them, I almost felt like they were guilting me [for] even requesting a refund in the first place,鈥� the ticket holder, who asked to remain anonymous, said. Climbing was unable to reach Flash Foxy for comment.

Other climbers felt the festival was still worth attending. Hannah Hawley traveled all the way from Vermont, booking both a plane ticket and a rental car for driving around Bishop. This was her first time attending the festival, which she ultimately decided to attend 鈥渂ecause climbing is about more than just climbing. It鈥檚 about community, it鈥檚 about respecting the land and being a good steward. I was able to experience all of that, talk climbing, watch climbing movies, and learn about the land we were choosing to protect by not climbing this weekend.鈥澨�

The importance of climbers and events like the Flash Foxy Festival to the local economy is certainly noteworthy; the report, conducted by Eastern Kentucky University鈥檚 Division of Regional Economic Assessment and Modeling (DREAM) with support from the Access Fund and Bishop Climbers Coalition, estimates that climbers visiting Bishop spend an estimated $15.6 million annually and that climber expenditures support $5.1 million in local wages in a typical year. Tawni Thomson, Executive Director of the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce, said, 鈥淲e are very grateful that the organizers of Flash Foxy decided to go ahead with the festival. It definitely helps the local businesses and also gives people something fun to do downtown that鈥檚 climbing related, but does not send them out to the areas that have been impacted by flooding, rockslides, etc. It actually helps keep our emergency personnel from having to rescue stranded climbers.鈥�

It鈥檚 doubtful that many more climbers will travel to Bishop this spring considering the lack of, well, climbing, so this spring鈥檚 weather is sure to negatively impact the local economy. As for when the roads to the crags will be repaired and accessible, representatives for the county could not estimate or ballpark a timeline, as there are still storm systems coming in and the county is still in a state of emergency. Current road statuses can be found on Inyo County鈥檚 website with daily updates.听

鈥淢ost of the roads to the most popular climbing areas are not passable right now,鈥� said Thomson. 鈥淢ost of the campgrounds utilized by climbers are closed. It鈥檚 just not a good time to be out there on the rocks.鈥�

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Dan Boozan had an arm paralyzed in a cycling accident. Enock Glidden was born with Spina Bifida鈥攁 rare disease that resulted in waist-down paralysis. Aika Yoshida broke her neck in an acrobatic accident and was confronted with a long and uncertain road back to athletics.

What do these athletes have in common? They, like thousands of others, found healing and strength through climbing with the help of Paradox Sports.

Since its founding in 2007, Paradox Sports, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, has worked tirelessly to expand accessibility in our sport. They do this by hosting for adaptive climbers and veterans鈥� groups, introducing hundreds of people with disabilities to the sport every year; they run designed to help adaptive climbers increase their skills in a community setting; they for gyms, guiding services, veterans-affairs facilities, and university programs around the country, sharing the latest adaptive climbing practices so these organizations can better serve their local adaptive communities; and they sponsor individual athletes through their Adaptive 国产吃瓜黑料 Fund.

Thanks to Paradox, Dan Boozan has found a new sport he鈥檚 passionate about and a community to go with it. Aika Yoshida returned to climbing and is pulling harder than ever. And Enock Glidden ascended Zodiac on El Cap鈥攁 process that, for him,

Each year, Paradox touches roughly 350 people with physical disabilities, including鈥攂ut not limited to鈥攑eople with amputation or limb difference, blindness, hearing impairment, spinal cord injuries, neurological conditions, traumatic brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Paradox achieves this with the help of a variety of funding sources鈥攂ut roughly 10% of their revenue comes from individual donations. With this in mind, Climbing has partnered with Paradox Sports through 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 program. Our goal: to help them do what they do.

We urge you to consider or your time.

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A kid with a thick tuft of dark hair and large brown eyes pulled onto the wall at Movement Climbing, Yoga, & Fitness, located in Denver, Colorado鈥檚 trendy River North neighborhood. He muscled into a move, rocked over his foot, and then stabbed out for the crimp. He fell just shy of it, coming off with a thud. From the ground, he placed his hands on his hips and eyed the move. He chalked up and prepared to try again.

Given the boy鈥檚 age and size鈥攈e stood just 4-foot-11鈥擨 might not have taken note. But the kid was working the problem alongside veteran climbers Jimmy Webb and Daniel Woods, who were also struggling to stick it. Something cool was happening. I was watching 12-year-old Beckett Hsin crush it alongside adults.听

鈥淭hey鈥檙e kind of his heroes,鈥� his dad, John Hsin, later told me.

Beckett routinely climbs boulders that most grown climbers can only dream of ascending. On Monday, September 12, at Colorado鈥檚 Lincoln Lake, he marked a new personal milestone by completing the route Spatial Awareness Low,听which is rated V14.听

Beckett鈥檚 ascent came a week after he sent Spatial Awareness (V13). He鈥檚 also completed a slew of other Lincoln Lake classics, such as Sugar free Haribo (V10), Sparrowhawk (V10), Overcling Traverse (V12), and Honey Badger (V11).

When I spoke to him on a video chat, he was quiet and shy and incredibly humble about his accomplishments. 鈥淚 feel like my send of Spatial Awareness Low is controversial,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ecause it鈥檚 a little hole that you crawl out of, and I can fit into it a little better than most people.鈥澨�

It鈥檚 true鈥攄ue to his size, Beckett Beckett can keep crawling through the space where other climbers have to diverge right. While building up the ascent, he dabbed a lot, stepping off 15 before finally sticking it later that day. 鈥淪o, the way I do it鈥檚 probably easier鈥� And it has only had like two previous sends, so maybe it鈥檚 not V14,鈥� he said.听

The two previous ascents, however, were done by seasoned professional climbers Drew Ruana and Griffin Whiteside. The grade withstanding, Beckett is just the second 12-year-old climber to manage it, after Frech climber Oriane Bertone, who sent

Beckett traces his love of climbing back to his father. Growing up, John Tsin was a competitive gymnast. Later, in college, he started climbing recreationally and enjoyed the natural crossovers鈥攖he body movement control, the proprioceptive demands. When his oldest son, Sam, injured his back in gymnastics, John suggested he give climbing a try. Sam fell in love, and Beckett soon followed.听

Beckett joined the competitive youth team at Thorton, Colorado鈥檚 gym ROCK鈥檔 & JAM鈥檔. At first, climbing was just about fun. 鈥淚 kind of just goofed around a lot and ran around bothering all of the team kids,鈥� he said. But in the last few years, Beckett started taking training more seriously, with competing on the USA Team at international competitions being one of the end goals. He鈥檚 well on his way鈥攅arlier this year he placed second in Sport and third in Bouldering in his category at the U.S. youth national championships.听

Bouldering, Beckett says, has been his preferred discipline. But lately he鈥檚 been getting more into lead climbing, something made easier by the fact that he鈥檚 now actually old enough to lead in the gym. With the next competition season beginning in October, he says plastic is currently the primary focus. But outside of competition season, Beckett tries to get outside every weekend. His favorite crags are located in Lincoln Lake, and in Rifle, Colorado, where his hardest send to date is Fluff Boy (5.13c). He also has a project in Boulder Canyon, Midnight Express (V14), that he鈥檚 hoping to return to soon. Beckett鈥檚 dream is to complete The Game (V15), also in Boulder Canyon. But that鈥檚 for the distant, far-away future, he stresses.

When I asked him what it is that he loves about the sport, Beckett said he didn鈥檛 want to pick apart the reasons. 鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 just climbing,鈥� he said.

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If you鈥檙e serious about climbing harder grades, then you need better footwork. In our 国产吃瓜黑料 Learn online course , master technician Paige Claassen teaches tips and drills to power your movement from your toes up through your legs and core to send your very best.

If you watch the video of you鈥檒l see she never readjusts her feet. She stabs her shoes into the limestone with precision, placing them correctly every time. And if you watch Janja Garnbret climbing in a World Cup event, you鈥檒l notice that every time her feet swing away from the wall, they return to the volumes effortlessly, without readjustment. Or perhaps your moment of realization will be at the local crag, where a strongwoman will dance up her project without much upper-body effort, weighting her feet the entire way.

When my foot slipped below the first clip at the 2004 Youth Nationals in Sacramento, costing me a spot in finals, I knew I had to devote serious attention to my footwork. In the past 15 years, I鈥檝e worked hard to keep my feet from skittering and skating around the wall in search of the next foothold. It all comes down to the following six fundamental practices.

Watch: Improve your footwork with Paige Claassen鈥檚 online course on 国产吃瓜黑料 Learn.

Warm Up With Quiet Feet

Poorly placed feet bang against the wall鈥攜ou can hear them scraping and knocking, especially at the gym. To climb with quiet feet is to climb with efficiently placed feet. This means you place your feet correctly the first time, rather than needing to readjust. To practice, watch each foot as you slowly place it on a specific point on each foothold. This intentional placement, while slow at first, will become more natural and will ensure you can trust your feet. Your climbing will also become noticeably quieter.

The best time to practice new skills, such as quiet feet, is while warming up, when you鈥檙e not physically or mentally fatigued. So next time you鈥檙e at the gym, try it: engage your core to place your foot in a slow, controlled manner, rather than letting gravity pull your foot toward its next placement鈥攊.e. don鈥檛 let your foot ooze down the wall. You鈥檒l find your foot has to hover over a foothold for just a moment before making gentle contact.

Weight Your Toes

While new climbers often rely on their arms to pull, seasoned climbers use their legs to push. Our legs are the strongest parts of our body and are accustomed to supporting our body weight, unlike the weaker and more injury-prone upper body. By weighting our toes while climbing, we recruit our stronger lower half to do the hard work, conserving crucial upper-body energy for the crux and protecting our fingers and shoulders.

As you climb, consciously keep your weight on your feet and your arms relaxed. Loosen your grip in order to force your feet to learn what it feels like to support your body weight. (This is easier to practice on a vertical wall than in a cave.) As you move, push with your legs, as though the pressure created by your toes鈥攁nd in particular your big toe鈥攎ight push the foothold into the ground.

Plan Your Moves

Tunnel vision can prevent you from knowing where to move next, and whether your hands or feet need to make the next play. As a result, you may walk your feet all over in search of the optimal body position. Although moving your feet before your hands is smart, it鈥檚 important to have a plan so you don鈥檛 wear yourself out experimenting. If you鈥檙e in a stable position, take a moment to look around, observe potential footholds to either side, and formulate a simple plan before making experimental movements.

For example, if your next handhold is up and left, then look for footholds out right to push off of, or for a high left foothold听you can wrap your left toe around to pull yourself up and left. Understanding body position will help you plan your next steps in order to transition your weight intentionally and with maximum efficiency.

Engage Your Core

On steep terrain, do you find that once your feet either slip off or swing away, they dangle limply before you lose your grip and fall? Careful foot placements and core engagement will prevent your feet from slipping in the first place. However, some moves require intentional foot cuts, in which your feet must leave a foothold after helping launch your body toward the next handhold. In this latter scenario, use the momentum generated by the launch to swing your feet back in to the wall鈥攊t may sound counterintuitive, but the farther back your feet swing, the more momentum you鈥檒l have to swing them back in. As you swing, bend your knees to keep your hips close to the wall while giving your feet maximum airtime to generate momentum. Avoid going 鈥渓imp noodle鈥� (a slow foot cut with straight legs), as this position fails to generate the needed momentum.

When your feet return to the wall, your toes will ideally latch onto their target hold on the first try. To ensure this happens, pull your belly button toward your spine in pulses to flex your lower abdominals; also engage this quick pulse the moment your toes touch the wall. If you fail to make contact on your first swing, kick and generate听momentum from your core to keep swinging until you stick the target foot鈥攅xactly like crossing the monkey bars when you were a kid.

Use All of Your Foot

The inside edge beneath your big-toe knuckle is the most intuitive part of the foot for new climbers to use, because the 鈥渇rog leg鈥� position allows us to get the most rubber on a hold. And while standing on your big toe feels secure, if you look at your shoe, it鈥檚 covered in rubber! This means almost every part of it is meant to come in contact with the rock.

So educate yourself on the many foot techniques. Toe hooks employ your toe knuckles to hook under a hold. The heel is meant for heel hooks, at many different angles, to help lock you into the wall and suck your hip in to make long reaches. You can even press the top鈥攖he lace or Velcro area鈥攊nto the wall in a toe drag to help keep your hips in when making long reaches.

Take a look at your go-to shoe. Does it have a hard edge surrounding the toe, a soft heel that could slot into a narrow hook, or rubber on the uppers you could use to toe hook? Your shoes can give you clues about how you should be using your feet. Your feet are strong and can be used creatively beyond basic edging to help relieve strain on your upper body. So experiment with placing different parts of your feet on holds鈥攁s with 鈥渜uiet feet,鈥� a good time is while warming up. Use your heel, hook your toe beneath an undercling, or stand on your shoe鈥檚 outer edge (the pinky-toe side) to give your arches a break.

Size for Success

When I first transitioned into wearing high-performance, downturned shoes, I took the tight-fit mantra too literally鈥攃lose to foot-binding torture. I crammed my foot into a European size 35, two sizes down from what I wear now. Not surprisingly, this resulted in a nasty case of bursitis that required intensive stretching and ultimately surgery to alleviate. So avoid my mistake by sizing correctly.

While sending or redpoint shoes听should feel tight and slightly constraining, with no air pockets around the shoe and your toes pushed into a powerful (slightly bent) position, there shouldn鈥檛 be pain, especially surrounding the Achilles heel. Think of a well-fitting glove, but for your feet. If walking a few steps from your lace-up seat to the climb leaves you wincing, bump up a half-size. Remember, pain will distract you from your footwork鈥攁im for uncomfortable, not torturous. Additionally, overly tight shoes tend to stretch more, so the pain may not even be worth it. Crunch the toes but don鈥檛 bind them.

Paige Claassen is a Colorado-based professional climber with 5.14+ redpoints to her name, including Shadowboxing (5.14d) in Rifle, Colorado.

Ready to discover your own dormant capabilities at 国产吃瓜黑料 Learn? Join 国产吃瓜黑料+ today.

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Brutal. That鈥檚 the word that comes to mind to describe the women鈥檚 combined sport climbing finals competition in its debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Brutal route setting鈥攚ith exceptionally difficult, shoulder-y movements. And brutal conditions鈥攚ith the hottest temperatures and highest humidity of the week. But ultimately, the competition produced predictable results as Janja Garnbret, 22, of Slovenia, arguably the most dominant comp climber of all time, won the gold medal. Garnbret took first place in the bouldering and lead climbing events, and fifth in speed, for a total score of 5 (5 x 1 x 1).

Miho Nonaka, 24, and Akiyo Noguchi, 32, both of Japan and favorites to make the podium, took the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Nonaka went third, third, and fifth in speed, bouldering, and lead for a score of 45, and Noguchi took fourth place in all three events for a final score of 64. For Noguchi, the bronze medal marks the end of her career,听as she announced her retirement from competition climbing with these Games.

Brooke Raboutou, the only American woman to make finals, came in fifth overall after some unfortunate slips in both bouldering and lead. While Garnbret was technically the only woman to reach the top of two of the three boulder problems in the bouldering round, Raboutou was right there with her鈥攇etting to the final holds on those same first two problems but then slipping off before she could show control. Raboutou鈥檚 finishing score in the bouldering event belies her performance鈥攕he climbed incredibly well.

If the boulder problems seemed too difficult to really make the event interesting and competitive, the lead route appeared even harder. Not even Garnbret could come all that close to the top, despite putting up an incredible fight and reaching the highest of any competitor. Raboutou appeared to rush a move low on the route, and came up short on a hard-to-hit two-finger pocket, leaving her visibly disappointed. Chaehyun Seo of South Korea, a lead-climbing specialist, came in second in the lead event, nearly matching Garbret鈥檚 high point. Seo鈥檚 eighth-and seventh-place finishes in speed and bouldering, respectively, weren鈥檛 good enough for Seo to make much use of this impressive second-place finish in lead.

After watching the men鈥檚 sport climbing finals yesterday, it appeared that a first-place finish in any of the events guaranteed you a medal. Alberto Gines Lopez got first place in speed and did well enough in bouldering and lead climbing that the math worked out in his favor to award him the gold medal. The same almost held true on the women鈥檚 side. Aleksandra Miroslaw, a speed climbing specialist from Poland, set a new world record to win the speed event with a time of 6.84 seconds. Miroslaw then came in eighth place in both bouldering and lead. Still, the math worked out to give her 64 points鈥攖ying Noguchi for third place. However, the combined format rules dictate that an athlete鈥檚 performance in the qualifying round acts as the tiebreaker, which is why Noguchi got the medal.

The brutal route setting led to a women鈥檚 finals that lacked much of the drama of yesterday鈥檚 men鈥檚 finals, where the gold medal came down to the very last competitor鈥檚 performance. But it鈥檚 hard to argue that Garnbret, Nonaka, and Noguchi don鈥檛 deserve their spots on the podium.

As climbing鈥檚 Olympic debut draws to a close, the conversation will inevitably turn to evaluating how the spotlight of this stage will affect the sport going forward. This week, sport climbing became the top-trending Olympic sport, according to Google Trends. And with climbing returning to the Olympics in Paris in 2024, there will be much to look forward to.

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