Climbing
Raise your climbing IQ with a deep dive into competition scoring
If you've ever watched a climbing competition and been baffled by the scoring system, it's time to unravel the mystery. We break down the points system in this guide.
Sport climbing has gained a lot of popularity over the past decade. It's practised both outdoors and indoors (climbing walls) and there are more than 35 million climbers in 150 countries around the world.
Climbing events have undergone significant changes since the sport’s first international competition (SportRoccia in Bardonecchia, Italy, in 1985). With the world's biggest sports event on the horizon, and the likes of Ja-In Kim and Alberto Ginés López competing in Paris, read up on how a climbing competition is scored right here.
Usually at International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) events there is one event per gender for the three disciplines of bouldering, lead and speed. In Paris, there will be two sport climbing events per gender: one combining bouldering and lead, and one for speed.
"Previously we had to adapt to try to be competitive in all three disciplines and a lot of work had to be done, especially on the speed part. Now it's time to get back to the lead/bouldering, which we had left to one side for a couple of years," explains Spanish climber Alberto Ginés López. "All in all, I think we have adapted well to the change of format".
Alberto Ginés López gets to grips with a wall
© Javi Pec/Red Bull Content Pool
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Combined
In the combined event, athletes will compete in bouldering and lead, and the final classification will be decided by adding the points they have achieved in each of them, reflecting the ability and versatility of the climbers to reach the highest possible point on the wall.
Bouldering
Without rope and under the pressure of limited time, in the bouldering test the climbers must solve 4.5-metre-high walls in as few attempts as possible. The objective is to reach the highest point of the wall. Each time a move is validated, the climber will add points, while a failed move will be subtracted. The maximum score an athlete can achieve is 100 points.
Technique, sustained effort, confidence and nerves of steel in extreme situations are some of the qualities needed to conquer bouldering.
”In bouldering the most important thing is strength and technique,” adds Ginés López, who won the Sport Climbing gold in Tokyo.
Lead
In the lead test, climbers face a wall over 15 metres high with a new route and holds. The time limit to climb it is six minutes, so the pressure comes not only from the rivals, but also from the clock.
Like bouldering, the objective is to reach the highest possible point on the wall. Points are added each time a move is validated, and subtracted when the athlete fails. The maximum score an athlete can achieve is 100 points.
"The lead test is my favourite," says Ginés López. "It's the one with which I started and the one I like the most. It has a lot of technique but there is also a lot of problem solving in a very short time. The fact that you only have one attempt makes it very exciting – if you miss a foot, bye-bye. It also requires a lot of stamina and endurance."
Speed climbing is about explosive dynamism, so gym work is essential
© Lukasz Nazdraczew/Red Bull Content Pool
As mentioned above the final classification in the combined event will be decided by adding the points achieved by an athlete in bouldering and lead, so 200 points is the maximum combined score each athlete can achieve.
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Speed
The speed test is great to watch. Climbers must reach the top of a 15-metre, five-degree wall in the shortest time possible by combining precision and explosiveness.
They are one-on-one elimination rounds where competitors compete next to each other on a similar standardised route. The first athlete to the top takes the win. The winners of each contest advance through rounds until they reach the final, where the champions are decided. The time it takes for scale the wall usually takes less than six seconds for men and less than seven seconds for women.
“Some speed climbers are strong and others are agile,” says Alberto Ginés
© Javi Pec/Red Bull Content Pool
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Penalties
As in any sport, failure to comply with the rules in a competition could result in a warning. Here are some of them:
- Lack of time: in the speed and combined categories, this happens when the time allotted to complete a route is exceeded.
- Technical foul: in the difficulty category, this is usually the result of touching out of sequence, grabbing incorrect holds or not using a designated hold.
- Block foul: in block mode, this occurs when the wrong holds are touched, an incorrect hold is used or when an incorrect sequence is made.
- False start: in the speed mode, when a participant's reaction time is less than 0.100 seconds, the athlete is disqualified.
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