Climbing in the Olympics

I would like to know this as well. Climbing really deserves to be in the olympics if theres people who want it to be!

it should be cause there are so many other "unusual" spors in it. i mean handball, archery, badmitton and even more. i think climbing would be so much more entertaining then badmitton but thats just me

I agree! But my friend was telling me that climbing needs to expand more - especially the competition scene. I mean take alook at triple crown: Its a great comp, yes. But it would not be a good comp to represent climbers in general. Hell, there are people smoking weed in the middle of the crag.... Not something that would make climbing an olympic sport. Not to mention, the free beer goes crazy. Did you guys see that guy who fell in the fire and was only saved by his mountain hardware beanie? He was obviously drunk and didn't know what was going on... also something that doesnt represent comps too well... all we do is climb and get waaaaaasted.

ABS and SCS seem to be doing well, but do people really want to see others pulling on plastic? Plastic isnt really motivating.

I think the outdoor climbing comp scene needs to step it up if we want to be an olympic sport. Don't get me wrong, I love triple crown - its my favorite, but i dont those kind of activites are good to represent climbing in general if we want to be an olympic sport.

Actually badminton is pretty awesome to watch. The sport is dominated by asians who are lightning quick.

Haha, badminton is sick. But I don't think climbing belongs in the olympics. Climbing is supposed to be fun, and when you put too much of the competition factor into it, you lose some of that joy. Also, why does climbing need to be more popular? Is it really going to be any different if more people know about it and do it? There will still be the same rocks, just more people on them.

Hmmm. I don't really know. I've heard different stories about why climbing isn't in the olympics. One thing I've heard is that it's because it's not a good spectator sport. But that doesn't make sense -- neither is curling.
The other reason I've heard, which sounds more plausible to me, is because there isn't a big enough competition circuit already established, particularly in the states. In the eighties, competitions were huge, and even into the nineties, but have since dwindled to next to nothing. Competitions have always been and still are big in europe, but I've heard that for climbing to get in the olympics, the states needs to have a more firmly established competition 'scene.' Something like that. This is all hearsay though, so I really have no idea.

I've always thought, though, that it would be cool to have climbing with a similar format to gymnastics. There would be individual events (redpoint, onsight, bouldering, speed, time pressure difficulty, etc) and then there would be a team category and an all-around category. That way there's be a lot going on at once and it wouldn't be as boring. Plus, it would turn climbing into more of a team sport.

I see what you are saying, bfox... But climbing is different to everyone. Some people do it just for fun while others are really into the competitive aspect. You're right, there will just be the same rocks... and more people. But the people who compete usually do it on plastic and they want the sport to get bigger so that they can compete and be known the same as a badminton champion or whatever. Climbing is what you want it to be. You can do it individually or you can be on a team... you can climb outside or inside... so i think climbing in the olympics is a goal that the competitors want - not necessarily ALL climbers. You know?

And Katie, I think that your idea is cool. Maybe someday it'll happen. If not, im not too worried about it.

Heck, if trampoline jumping can be an Olympic sport just about anything can. I kind of hope it does not become an Olympic sport. I can just see all the steroid juiced uber-competitors ripping holds out of the wall. Comps are already competitive enough with teams charging outrageous sums of money to join. My kids and I just want to have fun. If getting world wide exposure is your game you picked the wrong sport!

Climbing was a non-medal demonstration sport at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy. Strengthing the competition circuit is definitely a factor. This is what USA Climbing is trying to accomplish: http://www.usaclimbing.net/about_main.cfm
btw USA Climbing is recognized by both the US and International Olympic Committees.

Badash, I understand what you're saying about the whole getting recognized thing, but if that's the person's goal, then they've missed the big picture of what climbing is really about.

Yeah i know... im not agreeing with it at all. I'm just saying if thats what some people want, thats what has to happen. I could care less if climbing is in the olympics, but i know that alot of the big competitors want it to happen. Like i said, people like climbing for different reasons...

All that climbing needs to work on TV is some good commentary. Whenever I show climbing videos to non-climbing friends they seem to get into it more if I explain whats going on, why particular moves are hard, and some of the lingo. Of course as what works with other sports it helps if the commentator is a popular top athlete.

yeah but that person doesn't climb, so maybe just with beginner movies or something, because personally I wouldn't want to be watching a movie where I'm constantly hearing, "and he reaches for the crimp, a hold that is small and strenuous on the fingers." haha but yeah I get what you mean.