Qualifying in Sport Climbing for Paris 2024: Reaching for the Olympics

From July 26 to August 11, the beautiful capital of France will be home to the 2024 Olympic Games. Leading up to the games, professional athletes around the world will be competing at various events around the world for their chance to try qualifying in sport climbing for Paris 2024.

Compared to the 2020 Tokyo Games, the sport climbing event will be separated between a Speed event and a combined Boulder & Lead event. The total number of participants will increase from the previous Olympic games, from 40 in Tokyo to 68 climbers in Paris.

There is a total of 20 athletes per gender (40 athletes) for the combined Boulder and Lead event. In addition, 14 athletes per gender (28 athletes) for the Speed event.

With limited spots, how will climbers be qualifying in sport climbing for Paris 2024?

Qualifying in Sport Climbing for Paris 2024: Roadmap

Roadmap for qualifying in sport climbing for Paris 2024

Qualification for Paris 2024 is limited to a maximum of 4 quotas (2 men and 2 women) available to each National Olympic Committee (NOC) for each discipline. 4 quotas (2 men and 2 women) for Speed and 4 quotas (2 men and 2 women) for Boulder & Lead.

Even if an athlete receives an Olympic quota spot, the NOC has exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes’ participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.

Qualifying in sport climbing for Paris 2024 requires athletes to receive one of these Olympic quota spots. There is a set number of quotas that are allocated across various sport climbing qualifying competitions, that take place in 2023.

Qualifying in Sport Climbing for Paris 2024: Quotas

2023 IFSC World Championships: 10 quotas
IFSC Continental Qualifiers: 20 quotas
Olympic Qualifier Series: 21 quotas
Universality Places: 4 quotas
Host Country Quota Places: 4 quotas

IFSC World Championships – Bern, Switzerland, 1-12 August 2023

There are a total of 10 Olympic quota spots available for qualifying in sport climbing for Paris 2024: 6 quotas for Boulder & Lead and 4 quotas for Speed.

The top three climbers per gender for the Boulder & Lead competition will receive one quota spot each, respecting the maximum per gender per NOC rule.

For Speed, the two highest placed climbers per gender will obtain one quota place each, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC rule.

IFSC Continenetal Qualifiers

European Qualifier – Rome (ITA), 15-16 September 2023

[2 spots] The highest placed athlete per gender in Speed at the European Qualifier will secure one quota place, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC.

Pan American Qualifier – Santiago (CHI), 21-22 October 2023

[4 spots] The highest placed athlete per gender in both Speed and Boulder & Lead at the Pan American Qualifier will secure one quota place, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC.

European Qualifier – Laval (FRA), 27 – 29 October 2023

[2 spots] The highest placed athlete per gender in Boulder & Lead at the European Qualifier will secure one quota place, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC.

Asian Qualifier – Jakarta (INA), 9-12 November 2023

[4 spots] The highest placed athlete in both Speed and Boulder & Lead per gender at the Asian Qualifier will secure one quota place, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC.

Oceania Qualifier – Melbourne (AUS), 23-26 November 2023

[4 spots] The highest placed athlete in both Speed and Boulder & Lead per gender at the Oceania Qualifier will secure one quota place, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC.

African Qualifier – Pretoria (SA), 7-9 December 2023

[4 spots] The highest placed athlete in both Speed and Boulder & Lead per gender at the African Qualifier will secure one quota place, respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC.

Olympic Qualification Series (OQS)

With only 68 spots available, qualifying in sport climbing for Paris 2024 is an upward climb with many athletes fighting for their chance to represent their country at the Olympic games. The OQS is the last chance for professional climbers to qualify for Paris 2024.

There will be two events located in two different cities from March-June 2024. During this time, there will be a total of 21 quotas up for grabs. 6 spots per gender (total 12 athletes) for Boulder & Lead. In addition, 3 spots per gender (total 7 athletes) for Speed.

Olympic Qualifier Series – Shanghai (CHN), 16-19 May 2024

Olympic Qualifier Series – Budapest (HU), 20-23 June 2024

For sport climbing, athletes will get a spot to the OQS through invitations, which will be released based on the 2023 international events results/rankings, with a maximum quota per gender per NOC.

Universality Places

Universality Places were developed by the International Olympic Committee to help ensure the participation at the Olympic Games of athletes from countries that would, through normal qualification channels, have little or no representation at the Games. One (1) Universality place per gender in each event will be made available to the highest placed eligible Universality athlete at the World Ranking.

[4 quotas] The highest placed athlete per gender in both Speed and Boulder & Lead will be qualifying in sport climbing for Paris 2024.

Host Country Quota Places

The host country in this case is France. There are 4 quotas secured for the host NOC: one athlete per gender for Speed and one athlete per gender for Boulder & Lead.

Reallocation of Quota Spots

Unused quota places will be reallocated to the next highest placed eligible athletes, not yet qualified, at the World Ranking, still respecting the maximum quota per gender per NOC.