Climbing Makes Its Pitch to Enter Olympics
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12/19/12 – Representatives of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) are meeting in Switzerland today with the International Olympic Committee Program Commission to make the case for climbing to enter the Olympics, starting with the 2020 Games. Climbing is competing with six other short-listed sports to join the Olympics: baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, squash, wakeboaring, and wushu. The IOC Program Commission must decide which sport to cut from the Summer Olympics and which to add.
IFSC Presdent Marco Scolaris is making the pitch along with four other people, including two North Americans: Debbie Gawrych, vice president of the IFSC and past president of USA Climbing; Sean McColl, the Canadian gold medalist at the 2012 World Championship and president of the IFSC Athletes Commission; Jérôme Meyer, IFSC Sport Manager and a past European champion in bouldering; and Evgeniya Malamid from Russia, a member of the IFSC Athletes Commission.
The IFSC earlier decided to focus on lead climbing in its Olympic bid; bouldering and speed climbing will not be considered. The IOC’s final decision will be announced in September 2013.
Date of meeting: December 19, 2012
Sources: ifsc-climbing.org