[shark]

http://thebmc.co.uk/countdown-to-olympic-decision-over-climbing

With just 193 days until the IOC makes its decision on whether climbing will be part of the 2020 Olympics, the BMC and top British climbers are gathered today (26 February) at the Westway Sports Centre in London to demonstrate what could be the next big Olympic sport.

Sport climbing is short-listed for possible inclusion in the 2020 Olympics. It is up against 7 other sports - baseball/softball, squash, karate, wakeboarding, wushu, roller sports and wrestling. The vote as to which sport will make it to the 2020 Olympic Games will take place at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires in September.

At the BMC's media event today at the Westway, Shauna Coxsey, Molly Thompson-Smith and Paraclimbing World Champion Fran Brown will be wowing the media with their climbing skills. After the demos, the sports journalists themselves will be having a go a climbing.

Rob Adie, BMC Competitions Officer, thinks climbing is in with a good chance. He said: "Climbing has all the excitement and adrenaline of the extreme sport that it is. Climbers make big dynamic movements on large overhangs holding on by their fingertips and can take big crowd-wowing falls. It also includes the grace and poise of gymnastics and the tension and endurance of strength sports, making it a fantastic spectacle to watch."

Dave Turnbull, BMC CEO, said: “We’re backing the IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing) in its bid to see climbing in the 2020 Olympics.  The GB Climbing Team is going from strength to strength. Being in the Olympics would give them the recognition and opportunities they deserve.”

The popularity of climbing is on the increase. The BMC’s growing membership is now over 75,000 and the number of public climbing walls in the UK is in excess of 300.  Participation figures from Sport England’s Active People Survey indicate that the number of people Mountaineering* once a week has increased from 86,100 (2007-08) to 98,700 (2011-12).

There are three different climbing disciplines contested at World Cup and World Championship events each year: lead climbing, bouldering and speed climbing. Only lead climbing, as proposed by the IFSC, is under consideration for the 2020 Olympics.

A key element of gaining support for the IFSC’s Olympic bid is to increase the number of fans on its 2020 Olympics Facebook page www.facebook.com/SportClimbing2020. Please show your support.

[Dolly]

I really don't see what's so good about this.
I asked the BMC why they were supporting it but they didn't reply to me.


I await a torrent of replies telling me why I'm wrong. I'm happy to change my mind if there are some good reasons

[Durbs]

I'd like to see it in - if only to raise awareness of climbing and potentially inspire the next generation of Ondras and Oddos...

Would be interesting to see if Shauna et al will be too old by then to compete with the as yet unknown yound up-and-comers.

I don't think it'll cause a huge flood of people onto rock - probably boost gym numbers, no bad thing IMHO. The more the merrier.

Still think they should've done bouldering over sport, but meh -it's all good.

[Bonjoy]

Seems a bit presumptuous of the BMC to back this bid without properly asking the membership if they actually support it(apologies if they did ask properly and I’ve forgot/ didn’t notice). They are after all supposed to represent members’ interests. It seems to me an important question for the sport. It looks from the outside like the BMC trying to duck a difficult question by presenting support for the bid as a given, as fait accompli.

[rginns]

As a BMC member I'm not too keen on this. The inevitable end result if successful will be even more people at the crag and even more queues for routes and the unavoidable increased rate of erosion.  why is making something more popular always seen as a good thing?

[Drew]

I must admit I'm apathetic or slightly swayed against climbing being an Olympic sport.

I'm trying to think of another sport in the Olympics which has all the variables of climbing, i.e. some people are better on pinches/slopers/crimps, and if the crux of the routes revolves around a slopey volume some crimp monsters would struggle. I can only come up with the Marathon where they are potentially running on cobblestones, tarmac, and/or concrete. Personally I'd prefer a level playing field in the Olympics.

[shark]

Seems a bit presumptuous of the BMC to back this bid without properly asking the membership if they actually support it(apologies if they did ask properly and I’ve forgot/ didn’t notice). They are after all supposed to represent members’ interests. It seems to me an important question for the sport. It looks from the outside like the BMC trying to duck a difficult question by presenting support for the bid as a given, as fait accompli.

They did. In 2009. The Area Meetings were consulted and it was then agreed to support it at the National Council.

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/national-council-12-sept-meeting-report

[slackline]

why is making something more popular always seen as a good thing?

The inexorable drive of capitalism which under-pins society.

I don't recall being asked/canvassed by the BMC if I support the bid.

Anyone have any idea what other national bodies doing to support the IFSC bid?

[shark]

As a BMC member I'm not too keen on this. The inevitable end result if successful will be even more people at the crag climbing wall

[Bonjoy]

I must admit I'm apathetic or slightly swayed against climbing being an Olympic sport.

I'm trying to think of another sport in the Olympics which has all the variables of climbing, i.e. some people are better on pinches/slopers/crimps, and if the crux of the routes revolves around a slopey volume some crimp monsters would struggle. I can only come up with the Marathon where they are potentially running on cobblestones, tarmac, and/or concrete. Personally I'd prefer a level playing field in the Olympics.

Good. I take it the majority of the membership supported the bid then. Don't suppose you could point me at the conclusions of their consultation?

[Durbs]

I'm trying to think of another sport in the Olympics which has all the variables of climbing, i.e. some people are better on pinches/slopers/crimps, and if the crux of the routes revolves around a slopey volume some crimp monsters would struggle.

Isn't this the case with all competition climbing, not just the Olympics?

I don't know - do you take pride in having Shauna in the top 3 at the World Cup? I think it's cool we have a Brit doing so well, having climbing in the Olympics could mean we inspire more world champions. Obviously this will happen with other coutntries too, but I think it's exciting.

I'd be intersted to see what % of wall-rats (like myself) never go outside. From the London area, I suspect it might be quite high.

[slackline]

They did. In 2009. The Area Meetings were consulted and it was then agreed to support it at the National Council.

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/national-council-12-sept-meeting-report

That would likely have got a wider response if done by postal survey to members (supplement to Summit perhaps).


Increased usage at walls will inevitably lead to an increase in the number of people at crags.

[abarro81]

I think it's cool that comps are growing and there's the possibility of comp climbing getting in the olympics. You lot are getting old.

[Ti_pin_man]

I would say, dont worry, it'll blow over.  From the experience of watching my first love xc mountain biking join in as an olympic sport, I dont think it will make a lot of difference either way.  The only benefit is that it gives you a sport thats interesting to watch on the telly when the olympics is on. 

[tomtom]

Its interesting what works and what doesnt on TV... Which sadly seems to be how the sports are chosen..

BMX is being axed as its too random (the faves get wiped out too much), the MTB XC was pretty dull to watch I thought... so I wouldnt expect that to last too much longer. I wonder how lead climbing would end up working on TV...?

Then again, things like the snowcross (the boarding equivalent of BMX) are really good... 

[Dolly]

I think it's cool that comps are growing and there's the possibility of comp climbing getting in the olympics. You lot are getting old.

Yes but why ?
ie what are the reasons or supposed benefits ?

[Bonjoy]

I can't remember a proper debate and vote back in 2009. Assuming this is down to my shit memory and that this is what people really want then fair enough. If the debate's been had and my side lost then that's the end of that. I'm sure I'll enjoy watching it should the bid succeed, I just hope I'm wrong on all the other shit that it could lead to.

[shark]

I would say, dont worry, it'll blow over.  From the experience of watching my first love xc mountain biking join in as an olympic sport, I dont think it will make a lot of difference either way.  The only benefit is that it gives you a sport thats interesting to watch on the telly when the olympics is on.

I anticipate that the only major changes will be an increased general interest in indoor climbing and that the funding of the GB teams should rise considerably from both commercial sponsorship and the Sports Council. I can't see any downside.

[Bonjoy]

I dare say you won’t have to see the downsides when they happen either as they’ll be easily dismissed as the unavoidable consequences of the natural expansion of the sport. There will be no obvious cause and effect.

[abarro81]

Yes but why ?
ie what are the reasons or supposed benefits ?

I get to watch climbing on tv when I'm bored.
More people get to climb/train full time. If they love climbing as much as I do this will be AMAZING for them and they will be very happy.
When I moan at climbing wall owners about making better training facilities they might be more likely to listen.

What's the reasons for people's negativity? Busier crags/erosion/broken holds/litter etc?

[Johnny Brown]

I can't remember a proper debate and vote back in 2009.

Really? It came up at every area meet for about a year, with endless tedious discussion about whether the BMC are even in a position to back the bid, as they are a 'representational body' not a 'governing body' as required by the IFSC or some such.

Assuming this is down to my shit memory and that this is what people really want then fair enough.

I don't remember anyone really managing to articulate much opposition (partly due to boredom, see above), rather a vague sense that it wasn't what they felt climbing was really all about. Which it may not be, but isn't a very strong argument against the many folk who are mad keen on the idea.

I just hope I'm wrong on all the other shit that it could lead to.

Which is increased popularity, especially of indoor/ sport vs 'real' climbing? I agree to an extent, but I'm not convinced you can social engineer such things. Olympic acceptance, if it happens, will just be another consequence of the steady increase in popularity already present.

[shark]

I dare say you won’t have to see the downsides when they happen either as they’ll be easily dismissed as the unavoidable consequences of the natural expansion of the sport. There will be no obvious cause and effect.

 

[Bonjoy]

JB - Sounds like I erased the memory. That or it was presented as endless vague waffle instead of one yes/no vote.

Like I said before, I think it's a bad idea, but if this is what climbers want then so be it. I'm not going to be boycotting anything, or giving people evils down the wall. I don't deny it will be great for a select few climbers and I say good luck to them, I'll be rooting for them with everyone else. Would that I were good/young enough to be among them. But I still think it's a bad idea. Not for any earth shatteringly powerful reasons that will silence the yay sayers. Just for the same old boring reasons you outlined already - more climbers, mostly indoors but with inevitable leakage onto the crags = more parking/access problems, faster erosion and polish, more frequent chipping, more tedious training bores, more happy-face-gits in team GB t-shirts at the wall/crag (but only if it’s a nice very sunny day). You know, old miserable hermit stuff.

[Somebody's Fool]

If I was a wrestler, I'd be a bit miffed about my sport (in the Olympics since the dinosaurs etc) being shelved in favour of some anorexic midgets from France and Spain inching their way up a comp wall.

[SA Chris]

Well rope climbing was an original olympic sport back in the 1800s, so it might just be coming back, albeit in a slightly more modern context.