First Look: The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Climbing Walls
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Climbing will premier in the Olympics on August 4 at the Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, Japan. Prep for the venue is well underway. The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) announced in May 2019 that Entre-Prises would handle construction of the walls, writing:
The French-based company Entre-Prises (EP) was chosen to be the sole supplier for the first-ever Olympic climbing wall. After providing the climbing wall for the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018, it is another great step forward for the most long-lasting IFSC partner.
The IFSC released the first photos of the completed walls this week:
The climbing walls 🧗♀️ and panels are now installed at the Aomi Urban Sports Park and ready for the @Tokyo2020 showtime! 🎆 🏗Entre-Prises Climbing Walls #ClimbToTokyo #UnitedByEmotion
Posted by International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) on Tuesday, March 3, 2020
From left to right are the lead wall, bouldering wall, and speed wall.
The completed construction was followed by a climbing test event. “A test event is a dress rehearsal to confirm and improve the competition and Games operation capabilities in order to ensure the successful operation during the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” explains a page on Tokyo2020.org. The test event took place without spectators or Olympic athletes. The trial run provided for photos of the climbing walls in action.
The sun is shining in Tokyo 🇯🇵 as the first climbers take to the walls of the Aomi Urban Sports Park. Day one of the Sport Climbing Test Event = complete! ✅#UnitedByEmotion Tokyo 2020 Olympic
Posted by International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) on Friday, March 6, 2020
Stay tuned to Climbing.com for more Olympic coverage, and check out our Competition Channel for more comp news.
