Sport Climbing to Become an Olympic Sport?

On the 12th December the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave provisional recognition to the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) and thus welcomed Sport Climbing Competitions into the Olympic movement. What all this means in layterms is that Sport Climbing may in the future become an Olympic sport. The key word is ´MAY´ as there is still many years before it would be allowed into the Olympic Games but recognition from the IOC is the first step in the process. Summer 2009 is when the decision will be made by the IOC as to whether new sports are added (or existing sports ditched) to the 2016 programme and so the IFSC have roughly 18 months to create a positive impression to the IOC. As a member of the IFSC the BMC will have to decide whether to support this decision and if they do this could open new funding possibilities in the future for British competitors and UK competitions. The IFSC was created in January 2007, splitting from the UIAA, to help improve international sport climbing competitions in both format and recognition and receiving IOC provisional recognition within 1 year is a fantastic achievement and highlights the hard work that the new federation has put in. Don´t expect to see Climbing in Bejing or even in London but young competition climbers like Natalie Berry may be representing Britain in 2016.

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