[GraemeA]

So technically it's all your fault.

Yes, I will burn in hell, forced to sit through never ending BMC Committee meetings chaired by the holographic projection of Ken (the real Ken will of course be in heaven) reminding me that comeptition climbers are barbarians and the Nose (Dinas Mot) will be bolted within a few years. And yes he did say this in 1993, it's in the transcript of a debate at the Alpine Club.

Actually you started it all by being the first ever champion of the Foundry Bouldering League Elite class. I've got the photo to prove it, Mike Lea won the Intermediate class and Airlie the Punter class - a bit of snadbagging by the latter two I think.

[Jaspersharpe]

  

Yeah I remember Airlie justifying being in the punter category by the likes of Mike Lea being intermediate. Cheating cunts.  Meant I only had Parry, Vickers, Patta, Welford  etc to beat.  Unfair really.

[dave]

Clearly a weak field that year then.

[duncan]

I'm attempting not to be a grumpy old man about all this but I can't see anything positive (for me) about climbing becoming an Olympic sport.  Trying to be objective, what happened when other minor sports joined the Olympics?  Huge rise in participants?  No discernible change? Certain website owners seem to be getting excited, they must think it will increase numbers and be good for business 

Assuming an increase in climbing wall use and some over-spill outside, the knock-on effects are likely to accelerate current trends: more pressure to retro inland Limestone (and anything else not nailed-down as trad.) and the already depressing deterioration of popular Grit venues.  I don’t imagine it will have much influence on my preferred activity of sea-cliff ledge shuffling. 

This may have been discussed ad nauseum at local meetings but I don’t feel there has been any real consultation by the BMC.  Perhaps that’s deliberate?  This isn’t 1982 and other forms of consultation should have been used.  I never know what my local  meeting will be discussing (example) and I’m not going to attend if the agenda is not available in advance: I might have to sit through a two hour of discussion on brush clearing at Harrison’s and I get quite enough of that kind of thing at work already.

[slackline]

This may have been discussed ad nauseum at local meetings but I don’t feel there has been any real consultation by the BMC.  Perhaps that’s deliberate?  This isn’t 1982 and other forms of consultation should have been used.  I never know what my local  meeting will be discussing (example) and I’m not going to attend if the agenda is not available in advance: I might have to sit through a two hour of discussion on brush clearing at Harrison’s and I get quite enough of that kind of thing at work already.

Chris has the solution to that (see posts above)

I however think its worth bearing in mind for future issues because the area meets are not an effective means of canvassing members opinions.

On that note, does the BMC supporting the bid mean that they will be increasing funding for team members above what is already used?  Thats certainly not why I'm a member of the BMC and it would be a shame if the other areas they do great work in such as conservation and working to maintain access suffer as a consequence.

[Jaspersharpe]

Surely the idea would be that if climbing was included then it would be easier for the team to get funding from elsewhere rather than relying on increased funding from the BMC?

I know fuck all about this but that's the logical assumption. 

[slackline]

You'd hope so, in which case the need/purpose for BMC support/endorsement is?

NB - Genuinely don't know and am interested, not trying to be an awkward cunt.

[Johnny Brown]

Re-read Graeme's post above.

Much as I agree that in 2013 there should be other ways of expressing an opinion to your representative organisation, area meets debates really can't be beaten for ensuring folk actually understand the nuances of what's being discussed.

[SA Chris]

Yeah, be nice of they could get a slice of the lottery funding, or whatever the other sports tap into, and not rely on my subscriptions.

[ianv]

I am guessing that as the bmc has the objective of promoting and representing climbing, it thought that olympic status would be a good for growth in participation. Higher participation would then lead to greater influence of the governing body and more money to spend on advocacy.

Personally I am all for it. It will open up opportunities for people to make a living off climbing, train hard, work on progression and should lead to better coaching/training all round. Anyway, climbing cant be any more boring than the 10,000m for TV spectators, especially oif it is well edited.

[slackline]

I did read it.

It raised a few questions in my mind, having been unable to attend the area meeting as to how the BMC support of climbing in the Olympics was the posed...

"Do you want the BMC to stay in the IFSC ?"

or

"Do you want the BMC to support the Olympics bid ?"

or the combined

"Unless the BMC supports the IFSC bid for climbing to be in the Olympics the BMC will no longer be able to be a member of the IFSC and the implications of this are...X, Y and Z."

What are the implications of the BMC not being a member of the IFSC?  Would it mean there is no possibility for reciprocal rights cards? (unlikely I expect as IFSC is about sports climbing)

I've been unable to find the minutes of past meetings on the community site.

[Johnny Brown]

"Unless the BMC supports the IFSC bid for climbing to be in the Olympics the BMC will no longer be able to be a member of the IFSC and the implications of this are...X, Y and Z."

A bit like that, with a lot more where your ellipses are. IE, it was done properly, and explained fully, plus the reason why it has arisen, etc etc. It bored the arse off me on several occasions.

I'm no great advocate for climbing being in the Olympics, but I do find this thread a bit depressing in its inevitability. Folk who couldn't be arsed engaging with a fairly tedious, technical discussion now moaning they weren't consulted properly, largely on the grounds that they don't like the outcome, but are yet unable to produce a decent counter argument. Such grumblings were addressed in the debate - do folk really think it's a tenable position for a representative organisation to refuse to promote its sport? It's a dog-in-the-manger position that doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

[Johnny Brown]

I've been unable to find the minutes of past meetings on the community site.

Really, I thought you were shit hot at this stuff? Unable to find the meeting or the minutes?

To find meetings, go to 'Your local area', hit 'previous events' then, optional but recommended 'show all'. Scroll down - it goes back to Sept '08. Olympics were on the agenda from Sept 09. Not all meetings have agendas and minutes, but the more recent ones all have both. It's not perfect, but I guess that's what you get for employing volunteers.

[IanP]

I'm no great advocate for climbing being in the Olympics, but I do find this thread a bit depressing in its inevitability. Folk who couldn't be arsed engaging with a fairly tedious, technical discussion now moaning they weren't consulted properly, largely on the grounds that they don't like the outcome, but are yet unable to produce a decent counter argument.

The other strange this is that it doesn't really seem that there's much chance of climbing actually making it to the olympics anyway:

Matt Cutler ‏@mattycutler   
William Hill odds on sport to be added to Olympics from 2020: Squash (6/4), Baseball/Softball (7/4), Karate (5/1), Wakeboarding (8/1)...   
(Feb 12)

[slackline]

I've been unable to find the minutes of past meetings on the community site.

Really, I thought you were shit hot at this stuff? Unable to find the meeting or the minutes?

To find meetings, go to 'Your local area', hit 'previous events' then, optional but recommended 'show all'. Scroll down - it goes back to Sept '08. Olympics were on the agenda from Sept 09. Not all meetings have agendas and minutes, but the more recent ones all have both. It's not perfect, but I guess that's what you get for employing volunteers.

Well I can assure you I'm not lying , but when I go to the community page there is a box that says "Your local area is : National" with an arrow that I would expect to reveal a menu to select a specific area.  Clicking on that arrow does not reveal the expected list, nor does a site search of the domain using Google reveal anything obvious.  I'm not logged into the site as I've never had a need to register at the BMC's website yet (that may change imminently!).

This is using Opera-12.14_p1738 (so pretty up-to-date browser) with Ghostery add-on (which blocks tracking by sites, I block most things).  Initially I thought it might be some aspect of Ghostery blocking something, but it reports that nothing is being blocked for that domain.

I'll try again when at home later where I've a different browser installed to try it, thanks for the pointers.  And its great that volunteers put the effort into providing agendas and minutes, thanks if any are reading.

I'm no great advocate for climbing being in the Olympics, but I do find this thread a bit depressing in its inevitability. Folk who couldn't be arsed engaging with a fairly tedious, technical discussion now moaning they weren't consulted properly, largely on the grounds that they don't like the outcome, but are yet unable to produce a decent counter argument. Such grumblings were addressed in the debate - do folk really think it's a tenable position for a representative organisation to refuse to promote its sport? It's a dog-in-the-manger position that doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Bar my minor concern of what my membership is being spent on I'm not overly bothered that I didn't have a chance to put my vote forward, whats happened has happened and I realise that spouting shit on a forum isn't going to change that, but...

I however think its worth bearing in mind for future issues because the area meets are not an effective means of canvassing members opinions.

[Stu Littlefair]

Area meets might not be an effective means of canvassing a wide range of members opinions but they are an effective way of canvassing opinions of those who care enough to get involved (disclaimer: I rarely, if ever attend area meetings)

[GraemeA]

The other strange this is that it doesn't really seem that there's much chance of climbing actually making it to the olympics anyway:

Matt Cutler ‏@mattycutler   
William Hill odds on sport to be added to Olympics from 2020: Squash (6/4), Baseball/Softball (7/4), Karate (5/1), Wakeboarding (8/1)...   
(Feb 12)

I wonder what information forms the basis of these odds.

[slackline]

Browser issue, BMC site works as expected under Firefox.

[tomtom]

The other strange this is that it doesn't really seem that there's much chance of climbing actually making it to the olympics anyway:

Matt Cutler ‏@mattycutler   
William Hill odds on sport to be added to Olympics from 2020: Squash (6/4), Baseball/Softball (7/4), Karate (5/1), Wakeboarding (8/1)...   
(Feb 12)

I wonder what information forms the basis of these odds.

TommyZtones our UKB man on the inside at William Hill.....

[crimp]

Shauna Coxsey has been interviewed by radio 5 live about this.

It will be aired next week. Don't know when yet.

[crimp]

Shauna Coxsey has been interviewed by radio 5 live about this.

It will be aired next week. Don't know when yet.

BMC comps twitter reports this interview will be in breakfast show (0600 - 0900) on Wednesday 13th March.

[fatneck]

Shauna Coxsey has been interviewed by radio 5 live about this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0167lff

[shark]

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/dame-kelly-holmes-backs-climbings-2020-olympic-dream



As decision day draws nearer for sports being considered for the 2020 Olympics, double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes has given her support to climbing’s campaign.

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is the force behind the bid to get climbing into the Olympics and the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is backing the bid.

Only one of the eight sports under consideration will be chosen for the Olympic programme. Following presentations from each sport on 29 May, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board will recommend which sports should go through to the final IOC vote in September. It is expected the shortlist will be reduced from eight to three on 29 May.
 
Dame Kelly Holmes, double gold medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics said: “The proposed triathlon format for Sport Climbing’s bid for the 2020 Olympic Games sounds like a great concept. I know climbing is very popular with young people and the format fits perfectly with the Olympic motto of Faster, Higher and Stronger.
 
“I know the case for inclusion in the Olympic Games is becoming tougher all the time, it could go down to the wire when the final choice is made by the IOC in September. Hopefully the general public will see that Sport Climbing has a big future ahead.”
 
Dame Kelly is no stranger to climbing. Having climbed with the BMC at Stanage in the Peak District, she then went on to complete a five-day course at Plas y Brenin in North Wales. Dame Kelly has also attended a reception for the GB Climbing Team at Westminster.
 
The BMC hopes Dame Kelly's gold medal success rubs off on climbing’s 2020 bid!  You can show your support for the bid on the IFSC’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SportClimbing2020
 
Want to climb in the 2020 Olympics? Anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes to become an Olympic climbing champion should check out the pathway to getting on the GB Climbing Team in time for possible selection for 2020.  GB Climbing Team members are currently putting in some impressive international performances, with 15 year old Molly Thomspon-Smith showing great potential for Olympic success in 2020, should climbing reach the Olympics.

[SA Chris]

So what do we realistically reckon is climbing's chances of getting shortlisted anyway; I think it depends a lot on who is hosting?

baseball/softball - dull, but popular to watch especially with US and a few other places.
karate - a bit too much like other matial arts in already?
roller sports - be good to get in, dedending on format (except rolleblading which is a bit lame tbh)
sports climbing - ? potential crowd pleaser - if Madrid host it might swing chances?
squash - been in an out before?
wakeboard - Ok to watch for a while but more fun on the Wii than watching.
wrestling - in and out before?
wushu - no idea, some sort of martial art - see karate comment?

[GraemeA]

So what do we realistically reckon is climbing's chances of getting shortlisted anyway; I think it depends a lot on who is hosting?

As the host is chosen during the same meeting as the new sport the host will have very little bearing.

But don't forget Sachi Amma is current Lead World Cup Champion and Akiyo Noguchi is currently no 2 in the world for bouldering and won the World Cup in 2010.