Best. Year. Ever. Team USA.
By the numbers, Team USA is having its greatest season of all-time—and we’re only halfway done.
Author
John Burgman
John Burgman is the author of three books, including High Drama, which chronicles the history of American competition climbing. He is a former editor at Outdoor Life and a Fulbright grant recipient. His writing has appeared online and in print at Climbing, Gym Climber, Men’s Health, Esquire, Trail Runner, Boundary Waters Journal, and elsewhere. He currently serves as the senior editor at Climbing Business Journal and a producer for the Climbing Gold podcast.
My Stories
Unreal—Another Gold for Sean Bailey, That’s Two In a Row
Yet another powerhouse performance from Team USA, with the usual stars shining and Ashima Shiraishi proving she has the stuff for World Cups.
Only a Fool Would Count Out Sean Bailey
He didn't make the Olympic team, finished 47th in Innsbruck, but these stumbles only sharpened Sean Bailey's blade of ambition, and now he rightly sits on the throne as king of the comeback.
What If Janja Garnbret Loses At the Olympics? Unthinkable? Let’s Think About It.
Slovenia's brightest star is the favorite to win gold in Tokyo, but nothing is a given. A foot could slip, she could false start in Speed, or other competitors could simply climb faster and harder.
Sean Bailey Wins Gold, Colin Duffy and Natalia Grossman Get Bronze at World Cup—On a Roll
Three medals for Team USA in Villars. Wow.
Emma Hunt Proves She’s Our Best Ever in Speed, Sets New American Record. Slippery Wall Stymies at Speed World Cup.
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Olympic Climbing Dictionary for Dummies
Don't know a belayer from a send, no worries, our easy-to-use guide can set you straight.
Who’s Who: Meet Olympic Teams Switzerland, Italy, Spain, China and Russia
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Who’s Who: Meet Olympic Teams South Korea, Australia, South Africa, Poland, and Kazkhstan
Get to know the 20 men and 20 women competing in climbing’s inaugural Olympic event
Who’s Who: Meet Olympic Teams Austria, Great Britain, Germany, France and Canada
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The Idiot’s Guide to Olympic Climbing
Don't know speed from lead climbing, or want the finer points on how Olympic climbers will be scored? Here's what you need to know.
Grossman and Garnbret Battle, Broadcaster Apologizes for Sexualizing Coverage
Rain prematurely ends women's competition, Japan men's sweeps, complaints of prolonged camera close up of Austria’s Johanna Färber
Raboutou’s Masterclass Performance Continues Season of a Lifetime, While Ondra and Others Slip Off
The highs and lows from the World Cup in Innsbruck—some Olympians, but not all, shone.
The Olympics Are in Tokyo, Is Team Japan Poised to Beat Everyone?
Japan has had the most consistently dominant team for 10 years, but will they own the Olympics?
The biggest stars of the recent World Cups were not the Olympians—and that’s great for the future of the sport
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Americans Dominate World Cup: Sean Bailey And Natalia Grossman Take Gold
Yep, you read that right. Team US has two winners!
As Climbers Head to Olympics They Can Expect Doping Tests
“My opinion is clearly that to be the best climber, you don’t have to dope but just train hard and intelligently.”
Why You Won’t Want to Miss Tonight’s World Cup Bouldering Final
Twelve athletes have just earned their places in the final round of this weekend's Bouldering World Cup. Among them: Four Americans! In the lead are the usual suspects: Janja Garnbret and Tomoa Narasaki
Team USA Women Battle Garnbret and World’s Best, and Four Advance at Bouldering World Cup
By the round’s end, Garnbret had topped all five boulders, but so had Japan’s Miho Nonaka, the United States’ Natalia Grossman, and Japan’s Futaba Ito.
Sean Bailey, Nathaniel Coleman and Zack Galla Advance at World Cup
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USA’s Emma Hunt Grabs Silver, World Speed Record Smashed Second Time in a Single Day
In a powerful performance on home turf, Emma Hunt advanced to finals and got a podium, while John Brosler was narrowly edged out of bronze.
Indonesian Phenom Smashes Speed Record at World Cup in Salt Lake City. John Brosler Sets New American Record.
The 2021 Speed World Cup season is off to a helluva good start.
Brooke Raboutou: An Eye on Olympic Gold
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Congratulations on Making the Olympics. Now Please Pee In This Cup!
Performance-enhancing drugs have been the bane of sports, and with climbing's Olympic debut, climbing competitors can expect additional scrutiny.
What the First World Cup Told Us About the Upcoming Olympics
Big stars and dark horses alike kept the first World Cup of the 2021 season, in Meiringen, Switzerland, exciting until the end. The event provided a sneak peak at how the field is shaping up ahead of the Olympics.
Highs and Lows: 2020 IFSC European Championships
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Climbing in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics: How We Got Here and What the Future Holds
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Olympic Climbing 101: Everything You Need to Know About Climbing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
A guide to climbing’s inaugural appearance at the Summer Olympic Games
Interview: USA Climbing CEO Marc Norman Sees the Olympics as Just the Beginning
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The Olympics So Far: Adam Ondra’s Rare Underdog Moment
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Russia Banned from 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Recent ruling will impact Russian climbers vying for Olympic berths
An Inside Look at USA Climbing’s National Team Training Center
The new facility is purpose-built to help American climbers compete on the international stage and prepare for the Olympics
What the World Championships and Youth Olympics Can Tell Us About the Tokyo Olympics
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