It is time for something radical.  Something monumental to push the sport of competitive climbing forward. Something no one would expect but that would also be a welcome shot of adrenaline. It is finally time to change the Speed route. The current route has been in use since 2007 and as the competitive sport of Speed Climbing has finally clawed its way into the spotlight and gained respectability, it is time to push the envelope to the next logical step, and I have a plan to make it as easy and interesting as possible to both the competitors and viewers. 

First, let me say that with the inclusion of climbing in its three-discipline combined format for the Tokyo 2020(1) Summer Olympics, it finally gave competitive climbing as a whole the punch it needed to become accepted by the world at large as a sport worthy of admiration rather than just a bunch of dirtbags with a death wish. This was no simple feat and the rapid logistics of countries to develop a system for choosing athletes to suit the warped combined platform was a testament to both the governing bodies and the athletes’ ability to adapt. It was truly phenomenal to watch unfold after inclusion and format was approved. Second, the popularity proved what we all knew before those Games even got rolling; Speed as a discipline is so different that some of the most desired athletes for Sport/Bouldering were not able to qualify and the scoring format was confusing to viewers. The good news is that this forced the IOC to determine that Speed needed to be separated into its own event, opening the door for more specialized athletes to attend. 

With a more individualized focus on the Speed event, it is going to need something to keep viewers engaged and I [humbly] suggest that changing the route is how we maintain interest and push the skill of the athletes. I have seen and heard the comparison to the 100m dash more often than any other when trying to explain to the lay-person how it works for scoring, but Speed has more in common with Alpine Skiing. As it stands now, Speed is actually most similar to Parallel Slalom (two athletes race down the same course in a bracket-style elimination) when it comes to Olympic events. Parallel Slalom tries to keep it similar at all training and event locations around the world with regard to distance, slope, number of gates, and the spacing of gates, the same way we have a standard route but local conditions may affect performance (re: heat, humidity, sun angle, etc.). What if we took the same format of head to head bracket elimination and combined it with the excitement of variety we see in other Slalom events that differ with each mountain? Their course lengths stay roughly the same and so does our wall height. They keep a similar number of turns/gates and so can our hold count and type. Gate position changes based on the slope and trees lining the course and so should our hold positions. The other problem with comparing Speed to the 100m Dash, there will come a point where a World Record will be set and it will not be broken no matter how hard someone trains, even if they are doping. The physics of this type of sport of going from point A to point B are a limiting factor. However, unlike the 100m dash, we need not be confined to such rigidity with the route, for it is not set in stone (heh-heh) and setting the course like Alpine Skiing events saves us from rigidity and a definitive ceiling of performance.  And, while some big names from strong Sport/Bouldering competitors were not able to qualify, we still saw a remarkable number of competitors that had never attempted Speed learn the discipline in a remarkably short amount of time.  As such, changes to the standard route will likely not be detrimental to any Speed specialized athletes and will keep interest high to new athletes as well as spectators.

Let me be clear, the route is set and is currently the competition route for World Cup 2022 and is being trained on to qualify for Paris 2024 so now is not the time, but the new route should be tested and finalized before debuting for the 2025 World Cup season. This bridges the gap between Tokyo and Paris so that viewers of the previous Games will be able to make the comparison as Speed carves out its own podium.  Once the Games are over, but World Cup events are still rolling, unveil the new route so that training can begin (if desired) but the current route stays in place until the World Cup season is complete. Avid followers of the sport will already be familiar with the new route for the 2028 LA Games and the names vying for contention while casual viewers will have something new to watch and keep them captivated. Thus, the process continues and a new route is developed to debut in competition starting in 2029. The holds used for the Speed route can still remain the same, it is just their placement and orientation that need changing.

In truth, there doesn’t even need to be a new route with the passing of every single Summer Games.  They could be on a rotation with every generation so perhaps only four or five iterations (maybe one for each of the Olympic rings?) would be necessary so we would see the current route return to use in 2040! This means that records could be recorded for each version and the next round of amazing athletes would get to test their mettle against past stars.  It would be like returning to a favorite or preferred course like we see in running or Alpine Skiing.  Imagine then the opportunities if once a catalog of Speed courses is built how that could shake up the World Cup. Each event could announce the Speed route they will be using and the athletes would have to have it in their quiver and be prepared for each possibility!

Speed Climbing receives a lot of criticism from the climbing community for “not being climbing” because it is the same thing over and over. Some share a similar sentiment of the current parkour-style of competition setting for being less about hard pulling and more about abstract coordination, but that is another topic for a later date. To me, it is all climbing, and if we can make changes to bring respect of the different disciplines up, along with viewership and appreciation of the lay-person, then that is in the best interest of the sport, its sponsors, spectators, and of course, the athletes.

Sincerely,

A Competitive Climbing Fan