Competition climbing
 Jakob Schubert in the competition lead climbing final of the 2018 IFSC World Championships | |
| Highest governing body | World Climbing |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Sport climbing; can be confused with sport climbing |
| First played | 1985 (Lead), 1998 (Bouldering, Speed) |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Individual sport |
| Equipment | Shoes, chalk, harness, rope, quickdraws |
| Venue | Indoor climbing wall |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | Since 2020 |
| Paralympic | to be included in 2028 |
| World Games | 2005–present |
| Part of a series on |
| Climbing |
|---|
| Lists |
| Types of rock climbing |
| Types of mountaineering |
| Other types |
| Key actions |
| Key terms |
Competition climbing is a form of regulated rock-climbing competition held indoors on purpose-built artificial climbing walls (earlier versions were held on external natural rock surfaces). The three competition climbing disciplines are based on the climbing activities of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing. The result of multiple disciplines can be used in a "combined" format to determine an all-round winner (or the "combined" winner). Competition climbing is sometimes called "sport climbing", which is the name given to pre-bolted lead climbing, and was the first climbing discipline to hold competitions.
In competition lead climbing, competitors start at the bottom of a pre-bolted sport-climbing route and lead-climb to touch or secure the highest climbing hold possible within a set time limit on a single attempt, making sure to clip the rope into pre-placed quickdraws while ascending. In competition bouldering, competitors climb short bouldering problems without a rope, with an emphasis on the number of problems completed, and the attempts necessary to do so. In competition speed climbing, competitors race-off in pairs on a standardised 'speed climbing wall' using a top rope on an auto belay, in the shortest time.
World Climbing (renamed from the IFSC) regulates and organizes international competition climbing events, including the biennial World Climbing Championship, and the annual World Climbing Series that is held as a series of events during the year to determine the overall winner. Competition climbing first featured at the 2020 Summer Olympics in a once-off single combined format per gender, with results based on a combination of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing performances. Climbing at the 2024 Olympics had speed climbing as a standalone event, with lead and boulder as a combined event. All three disciplines will be standalone medal events at the 2028 Olympics.