China holds potential to be sport climbing powerhouse: IFSC president

TURIN, Italy, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China had an impressive performance in sport climbing at the Paris Olympics, and it has the potential to become a global sport climbing powerhouse, leading the development of the sport in Asia, said Marco Scolaris, President of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) on Wednesday.

At the recently concluded Paris Olympics, the Chinese team secured two silver medals in speed climbing, marking a significant breakthrough. This was the second appearance of sport climbing in the Olympics and the first time that speed climbing and combined (bouldering and lead) events were separately featured.

In an interview with Xinhua, Scolaris hailed the achievements of Team China. "China equalized the United States with gold medals, and it was quite a great success," he said, adding the silver medals in sport climbing were also satisfactory. He believes that as China continues to develop its sport climbing program, it will become a world-leading climbing powerhouse in the near future.

In the combined climbing event at the Paris Olympics, Chinese athletes did not reach the finals, indicating that there is still a gap between them and the world's top climbers.

"Traditionally, China has always been very strong in speed climbing," Scolaris said. "However, bouldering and lead climbing are more complicated because you have to climb new routes, new boulders, every round in every competition. So it requires not only physical skills but also the mindset to adapt yourself every time."

According to Scolaris, as countries like Indonesia gradually improve their climbing results, China faces increasing competition and needs to invest more in coaching and infrastructure to enhance its performance in bouldering and lead climbing.

As a key member of the IFSC, China has consistently participated in hosting events organized by the federation. This year, China has hosted two World Cups and the Paris Olympic qualifying events, and it will also host the IFSC Youth World Championships and other international competitions later.

Scolaris said that China has always been one of IFSC's best partners since its inception, and the events held in China have always been successful.

According to Scolaris, the climbing infrastructure is crucial to raising the overall level of the sport in a country. He takes the Austrian city of Innsbruck as an example, with a population of less than 200,000, the city owns one of the best climbing training centers in Europe, and it attracts climbing enthusiasts and professional athletes around the world for training and recreation.

Scolaris said that developing good climbing infrastructure can not only serve the country itself, allowing athletes to avoid prolonged training abroad, but can also have a regional and global impact by attracting talents for exchange.

He added that China has a large population base and a vast market, and with continued investment, it has the potential to become a sport climbing "hub" in Asia, leading the promotion and development of the sport in more countries and regions across the continent.