Sport climbing gets separate medals for LA 2028 Olympics
- Friday 11th April 2025
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced an increase in medals and athlete quota for Sport Climbing for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
For Sport Climbing’s third Olympic appearance at the LA Games in 2028 athletes will compete for three sets of medals for both men’s and women’s with medals going to the winners in Lead, Speed and Boulder. The athlete quota will also increase for the LA Games as well.
As Sport Climbing has grown at each of the preceding games the LA Games will, for the first time, enable athletes to specialise in their preferred discipline. It is understood that athletes wishing to compete in multiple events will also have that opportunity.
A communication from the IOC stated:
“The IOC Executive Board has approved six events for men's and women's Lead, Speed, and Boulder climbing, with a total quota of 76 athletes (38 women and 38 men). The specific allocation of these quota places across the events will be finalised in the Olympic Qualification System, including the potential for athletes to compete in multiple events.”
Following the announcement IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “From the very beginning of our Olympic journey we have always had the target of three sets of medals for our athletes. Each of our disciplines has its own unique strengths, and now everyone will see these at LA28.
“I’m happy to be at this point in our history thanks to a fantastic collaborative effort from so many people. The Climbing community; from the athletes to the spectators to the staff all working together. I’m personally grateful to the IOC and LA28, working together in these last months was a great human and sport experience. LA28 will be an ever-bigger celebration for Climbing.”
Many established competition climbers – including former medallists – will now have to decide how to organise their training in the remaining time ahead of the qualification events. Lead specialists such as Jacob Schubert and Adam Ondra have already indicated that they might well throw their hats into the ring for yet another Olympic cycle if Lead and Boulder were separated out. A number of the very best competition climbers, such as Janja Garrnbret, Brooke Raboutou as well as Toby Roberts and Sorato Anraku are likely to attempt qualification in both Lead and Boulder.
Whilst 20 athletes per gender contested the Combined Lead and Boulder medals at Paris 2024, 14 competed in Speed – making a total of 34. That’s four less than the 38 athletes per gender announced for LA 2028. If Speed was to retain the same number of competing athletes, i.e. 14, that would leave 12 athletes each for the Lead and Boulder. The split in athletes contesting the three disciplines at LA has yet to be announced so competitors and keen competition fans will be eagerly watching for more news on this aspect for LA 2028.