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CLIMBING/EDUCATION<br />
THE RED BULLETIN’S GUIDE TO<br />
SPORT CLIMBING<br />
What you need to know about the competition in a nutshell<br />
40<br />
COMPETITORS<br />
20 men<br />
20 women<br />
FORMAT<br />
Athletes compete in<br />
all three disciplines,<br />
one overall winner<br />
in each gender<br />
SCORING<br />
Calculated by taking the<br />
multiplication of the<br />
climbers’ rankings in<br />
each climbing discipline,<br />
with the best score being<br />
the lowest one<br />
Qualification<br />
round:<br />
20 athletes<br />
Final round:<br />
8 athletes<br />
DISCIPLINES<br />
BOULDERING<br />
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?<br />
Climb as many problems as<br />
possible in the least possible moves<br />
Wall height: 4m<br />
Rope: No<br />
Time restriction: Four minutes<br />
for each problem<br />
Skills needed: Power, flexibility,<br />
dynamic, technical<br />
SPEED CLIMBING<br />
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?<br />
Two competitors; fastest to<br />
the top wins<br />
Wall height: 15m with 5-degree<br />
overhang<br />
Rope: Yes<br />
Time restriction: N/A. <strong>The</strong><br />
current world record is 5.48s<br />
Skills needed: Athleticism,<br />
explosive power<br />
LEAD CLIMBING<br />
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?<br />
Climb as high as possible in<br />
the time limit<br />
Wall height: 15m with<br />
at least a 7m overhang<br />
Rope: Yes<br />
Time restriction: Six minutes<br />
Skills needed:<br />
Power, endurance<br />
EQUIPM<strong>EN</strong>T<br />
Shoes<br />
Belay device<br />
Rope<br />
Harness<br />
Quickdraws<br />
Chalk bag<br />
SHOW THE<br />
ROPES<br />
L<strong>EN</strong>GTH<br />
Ropes range from 30-80m in length; a length<br />
of 60m is considered standard.<br />
THICKNESS<br />
Generally speaking, a thinner rope is lighter.<br />
<strong>The</strong> diameter ranges from heavy-duty ropes<br />
(10-11mm) to standard (9.5-10mm) and skinny<br />
(8-9.5mm) being the weakest type.<br />
COILING<br />
Beginners use the butterfly coil to<br />
avoid twists; advanced climbers prefer<br />
the mountaineer’s coil.<br />
HOLDS<br />
1. PINCH<br />
2. UNDERCLING<br />
3. CRIMP<br />
4. JUG<br />
5. SLOPER<br />
6. POCKET<br />
1 2 3 4 5<br />
A hold you need<br />
to ‘pinch’ with<br />
the whole hand,<br />
requiring a lot<br />
of strength.<br />
<strong>The</strong> hold’s<br />
grabby bit faces<br />
downwards, so<br />
bicep strength<br />
is beneficial.<br />
A small and<br />
shallow hold<br />
that can only<br />
be held by the<br />
finger tips.<br />
Shaped like<br />
a cupboard<br />
handle; only<br />
the fingers<br />
can fit inside.<br />
A hold with no<br />
obvious gripping<br />
point, held using<br />
the friction of<br />
your hand.<br />
6<br />
Holds with<br />
an opening,<br />
grip with<br />
three or<br />
less fingers.<br />
THE RED BULLETIN 73
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