Sport Climbing Australia is pleased to announce Andrew Chen, Irene Torrealba, Alex MacInnes and Khosro Hashemzadeh as the new National Coaching Team.

Having previously held the role of National Assistant Team Coach last year, Andrew Chen has stepped into the role of the Coaching Team Manager. He says he is excited about "the breadth of skills and experience in the team this year, as well as the combined total outreach. It feels like we're turning a fresh leaf and stepping into a new chapter for Australian climbing".

Irene Torrealba and Alex MacInnes both hold ASCA Strength and Conditioning accreditations and have multi-sport experience in State Institute environments. They are excited to drive athlete wellbeing and climbing performance through evidence based practise, with their individual passions lying in the areas of neurobiology and physical preparation. Having previously competed at IFSC World Cup Events for Iran, Khosro Hashemzadeh brings valuable insight and International competition experience to complete the new team of coaches.

The National Coaching Team recently hosted an online Oceania Olympic Qualifier information session to support athletes focused on Paris 2024. With only two climbing events on offer at the Olympics (combined Boulder/Lead and Speed), the pressure is on for athletes to be climbing at their best when it counts. The top competitors at the August World Championships in Switzerland will automatically qualify, with three Boulder/Lead and two Speed quotas available per gender. The next opportunity (and the only one on home soil) for Australian climbers to qualify for the Games is the IFSC Oceania Qualification Event in November.

Andrew, Irene, Alex and Khosro will work closely with the National Team Physiotherapist Katie Kaminsky to support athletes in training and to perform at their best in competitions. The next IFSC World Cup event will take place in Chamonix in early July, featuring Oceana Mackenzie, Emily Scott and Campbell Harrison in Lead and Grace Crowley, Chad Horton and Hayden Barton in Speed.

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