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In a major shift for the climbing world, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in April 2025 that it plans to separate lead climbing and bouldering into distinct medal events at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This decision marks a significant evolution from the 2020 and 2024 Olympic formats, where climbers competed in a combined event that grouped speed climbing, lead, and bouldering into a single medal competition.
The separation is widely seen as a positive step for athletes, who previously had to master three very different disciplines to remain competitive. Lead climbing tests endurance and strategy on a long, difficult route, while bouldering demands short bursts of powerful, technical movement without ropes. Many athletes specialize in either lead or bouldering, but excelling in both simultaneously often required compromises in training and performance.
By creating distinct events, climbers can now focus on their primary strengths. This is expected to raise the level of competition significantly, allowing more specialists to showcase their peak abilities. In interviews conducted with professional climbers like Janja Garnbret and Adam Ondra, both expressed support for the change, noting that separating the disciplines better represents the sport’s diversity and depth.
For elite competitors, this change offers new strategic opportunities. Athletes who were once disadvantaged by the combined format can now train more specifically, leading to potentially longer careers and fewer injuries caused by the intense cross-discipline demands. Young climbers entering the sport may also choose to specialize earlier, knowing that each discipline offers an independent pathway to Olympic success.
The separation could also alter national team selection strategies. Federations may now send distinct specialists for lead and bouldering, diversifying their rosters and possibly broadening medal chances. The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) plans to update its qualification systems to reflect these changes, ensuring that top talents in each category have a clear route to Los Angeles 2028.
While the full competition formats and qualification details are still being finalized, the 2028 Olympics are shaping up to be a defining moment for climbing’s global profile. By honoring the unique demands of lead and bouldering individually, the IOC’s decision is expected to attract broader audiences and deliver even more thrilling performances on the world’s biggest athletic stage.
