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The second half of the IFSC Climbing World Championships in Bern saw a new Australian Men's Speed record set by Hayden Barton and a semi finals placing for Oceania Mackenzie in the new combined Boulder & Lead Olympic format event.

Image: Lena Drapella

NSWIS athlete Hayden Barton finished 57th in Speed with a time of 6.22, setting a new Australian Men's Speed record. The previous record of 6.89 was held by Tokyo 2020 Olympian Tom O'Halloran, and the Oceania Continental Record of 5.83  is held by NZ climber Julian David.  Aaron Mattes and Grace Crowley also competed in Speed, finishing 72nd and 58th in the Men and Women's events respectively. 

Image: Jan Virt

At the conclusion of the Boulder and Lead World Championship events, all athletes who competed in both disciplines received a combined score calculated from their results. The top twenty climbers per gender took to the walls again in the new Olympic format for Paris 2024, with three qualification spots on offer in the final round. After narrowly missing out on Boulder finals after finishing 7th, VIS athlete Oceania Mackenzie qualified for the combined semi final where she finished in 16th place. In the Men's combined rankings, Campbell Harrison finished 53rd, Dylan Parks was 71st and WAIS athlete Maxim Pare was 72nd.

Image: Lena Drapella

The new combined format has been introduced for Paris 2024 with the split of Speed into a separate event and a total of four gold medals for sport climbing on offer. The scoring system performance based, with the final score of an athlete being the sum of points collected in Boulder and Lead (maximum of 100 points in each). Each Boulder problem is worth a maximum of 25 points, broken down into a TOP (25 points), Highest Zone (10 points) or Lowest Zone (5 points). The top 40 moves on the Lead route are scored, with the top 10 moves worth 4 points, the next 10 worth 3 points, the next 10 worth 2 points and then the bottom 10 worth 1 point. 

Image: Vladek Zumr

Sport Climbing Australia is grateful to have received support from Airbnb through the Australian Olympic Committee to provide a team hub for World Championship Teams. The Airbnb property allowed the athletes to relax after the demands of competition, wind down with post-training stretches, have a dedicated space for National Physiotherapist Katie Kaminsky to provide treatment, enjoy team dinners cooked in the fully equipped kitchen and create a shared team AUS experience with other athletes, performance staff and supporters. 

Keep up with all the Australian Climbing Team news on Instagram and Facebook.

Oceania Mackenzie has placed 7th in Boulder at the IFSC Climbing World Championships in Bern, equalling her 2023 World Cup ranking and cementing her place in Australian sport climbing history.

Image: David Schweizer

After qualifying for semi finals in 19th position, Mackenzie was the second climber on the wall and set the standard for the rest of the field. With three tops (including a flash) and all four zones, she narrowly missed out on qualifying for finals due to attempts to top. Janja Garnbret and Brooke Raboutou were the only climbers to top all four problems.

According to the IFSC website, Mark Baker is the only other Australian climber to place in the top ten at a World Championships, finishing equal 7th in Speed at Frankfurt in 1991. Garth Miller finished 11th in Lead at Paris in 1997, and until now Australia's best Boulder result at a World Championships was 13th place - achieved by both Samantha Berry at Chamonix in 2003 and James Kassay at Munich in 2014.

Although Mackenzie didn't progress beyond the Lead qualification round after finishing in 45th, her 7th place finish in Boulder will have earned the Victorian Institute of Sport athlete valuable points towards her combined score. After the conclusion of the finals, the top 20 ranked Boulder/Lead competitors will compete again in both disciplines from August 9 with three Olympic quota places on offer.

Image: Lena Drapella / IFSC

Strong individual performances were also recorded in the Men's events, with Australia finishing 10th place in the Boulder team rankings. In Boulder, Dylan Parks placed 63rd (one top and two zones), Max Pare placed 67th (one top and one zone), Campbell Harrison placed 79th (four zones) and Aiden Yanev placed 81st (three zones). "Had a great time and I'm super keen for more. I'm happy with my mental and physical progression throughout the season and I've learnt many valuable lessons" says Dylan Parks. "This comp I felt I had more fight in me and I'd love to keep the ball rolling."

Image: Lena Drapella / IFSC

Harrison was Australia's highest placed Lead competitor, finishing 39th out of 125 competitors. "Immediately after the round I was pretty upset, because I really felt like my climbing didn't 'click' on either route. Shortly after, I realised that cracking the top 40 in one of the biggest Lead World Champs fields ever is something to be pretty proud of. There's definitely a little bit of grief for how well my first qualifier was going before I missed a foothold hidden behind a volume, but that's how climbing goes sometimes…my shape certainly felt the best it's ever felt here in Bern, and the thirst to accomplish bigger and better things is strong."

Image: Pho Metheus

Other Lead competitors included Dylan Soin who placed 65th, Parks in 85th and Pare in 93rd. Australians still to compete include Sarah Larcombe, Araminta McLennan, Jessie Bayiartkias and Michael Tarulli in Paraclimbing from August 8, and Hayden Barton, Aaron Mattes and Grace Crowley in Speed on August 10.

Keep up with all the Australian Climbing Team news on Instagram at @ausclimbing. 

NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) athlete “Hayden “Spiderman” Barton is taking to the walls in speed climbing at the IFSC Climbing World Championships in Bern, Switzerland, in his quest to secure a quota place for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Image: Victor Hall Photography

“When I was nine years old, my dad got me into rock climbing as a summer sport. I was always up in trees climbing and so my parents thought it would be good for me,” the Paris hopeful said. “I’m known for wall crawling and climbing up things. Spiderman’s abilities are acrobatic. I aspire to be nimble and acrobatic myself.”

Barton trains five times a week at the Penrith Climbing Centre and he is at the NSWIS gym another three times a week working on his strength and condition. “The muscle ups are a great exercise for building upper body power,” he said. “It’s an awesome exercise to engage all the muscles you need in climbing. I would like to hope I can do over 10.”

Barton credits his NSWIS strength and conditioning coach Ebony Charles as instrumental to his recent performance improvements. “Before starting at NSWIS I was flying blind in S&C and training in the sport of speed climbing,” said Barton. “Since I have started training my times have improved from a time of 6.6 – 6.2 seconds in training. Ebony has been instrumental in assisting me improve. She has come to training with a very detailed knowledge of how to train for a power sport.”

Image: @beor_ong

Barton loves the movement patterns of climbing, the problem solving and the fact that no two climbing routes are the same. However, 12 months ago, Barton decided to refocus his goals and concentrate on speed climbing as he was not able to make the cut for Youth National Team in boulder and lead. “I first started as an allrounder, but now I specialise in speed climbing but last year was my final year as a youth climber. I never made the national team. I was a powerful athlete and decided my skill set was more suited to speed climbing. I came second at Youth Nationals and then went on to compete Youth World Championships in Dallas, Texas where I finished 20th in a time of 7.3 seconds.”

Earlier this year Barton competed at the Australian Nationals for Speed Climbing and – after only 12 months specialising in speed climbing – he won in a sub seven seconds time. “It’s a lot of muscle memory,” said Barton. “The route is always the same and position of the holds never change. And it requires a lot of power development.”

The IFSC Climbing World Championships will take place in Bern from 1-12 August, with Australian climbers taking to the walls in every event and category. The top three athletes per gender in Lead/Boulder and the top two athletes per gender in Speed will earn a quota by name for Paris 2024.

Keep up with all the Australian Climbing Team news on Instagram at @ausclimbing. 

Article originally posted by Frances Cordaro, NSWIS

Sport Climbing Australia is thrilled to have received support from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Preparation Fund announced last week by the Australian Sports Commission.

Image: Sam Pratt

$20 million in funding is being allocated across eligible Olympic and Paralympic sport federations to reduce the significant costs associated with athlete qualification and performance outcomes in the lead up to Paris 2024. SCA's Olympic Coordinator Naomi Cleary says that "Sport Climbing Australia is grateful to receive this funding and is really pleased to be able to assist our athletes in the lead up to the Paris Olympic Games. We will be able to support our athletes in their on the ground preparations in Paris as well as sending their coaches with them for their best possible result." 

Image: Danijel Jovanovic Photography

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Preparation Fund was announced the day before the Australian Olympic Committee's 'One Year To Go' celebrations at Qantas Headquarters on July 26. The first opportunity to qualify for Paris 2024 is at the upcoming IFSC Climbing World Championships taking place in Bern from 1-12 August. Athletes chasing Olympic quota spots include Oceania Mackenzie, Campbell Harrison, Max Pare, Dylan Parks, Aiden Yanev and Dylan Soin in Lead/Boulder events, and Grace Crowley, Hayden Barton and Aaron Mattes in Speed.

Keep up with all the Australian Climbing Team news on Instagram at @ausclimbing. 

There may still be one year to go until the Opening Ceremony of Paris 2024 - but there are only a few days until Australian sport climbers have their first opportunity to qualify for the Games.

The IFSC Climbing World Championships will take place in Bern from 1-12 August, with Australian climbers taking to the walls in every event and category. The top three athletes per gender in Lead/Boulder and the top two athletes per gender in Speed will earn a quota by name for Paris 2024.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Oceana Mackenzie has had a very strong 2023 World Cup season, with a personal best finish of 5th place in Boulder at Brixen and an overall 7th place world ranking for the discipline. With the Lead season still underway, Oceana has already achieved a personal best in Briançon with a 10th place finish and is positioning herself as a serious contender to secure a Lead/Boulder quota place in the women's field at Bern.

Image: Arthur Delicque

Melbourne climber Campbell Harrison has also had a strong season, qualifying for his third World Cup semi-finals in Briançon where he finished 26th. "In the lead up to this year's World Cup season, I was feeling the strongest I think I've ever felt. I knew that if I climbed well, I could have some promising results. In Briançon, other than making sure my score was correct, I didn't look at the leaderboard at all until I was finished climbing both routes. Making Lead Semi-Finals again was the culmination of a whole lot of hard work and perseverance, and I'm really proud of this achievement!"

Image: Victor Lami

Other Australians to watch out for in Bern include Max Pare, Aiden Yanev, Dylan Parks and Dylan Soin in the Lead and/or Boulder events, as well as Hayden Barton, Aaron Mattes and Grace Crowley in Speed. Australian paraclimbers Sarah Larcombe, Araminta McLennan, Jessie Bayiartkias and Michael Tarulli will also take to the walls for their events in the second week of competition. The whole team will be supported by Alex MacInnes (National Team Coach) and Katie Kaminski (National Team Physiotherapist).

Image: Bryana Robles

With only two Lead World Cup events to follow the World Championships, most athletes will soon head home to prepare for the IFSC Oceania Qualification Event. The event will be held at Urban Climb in Melbourne from 24-26 November, with one quota spot per event on offer (four in total).

Dylan Parks and Dylan Soin will both also compete at the IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships in South Korea from 19-27 August.

Keep up with all the Australian Climbing Team news on Instagram at @ausclimbing.

Melbourne will host the International Federation of Sport Climbing Oceania Qualifier 2023 – a qualification event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, from 24 – 26 November this year.

Located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Urban Climb Blackburn will welcome climbers from the Oceania region in the Speed and Boulder & Lead disciplines for both men and women with Olympic qualification at stake.

There will be four Paris 2024 spots available including, one men’s Speed, one women’s Speed, one men’s Boulder & Lead and one women’s Boulder & Lead.

As an important qualifier, Melbourne was chosen as the ideal spot to host the event with its rich Olympic history as the first hosts of an Olympic Games staged in the Southern hemisphere in 1956.

IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “Melbourne is a perfect city to host such an important event for the region and on the road to Paris. It will be the second time that Australia has been part of our Olympic journey, and in cities with great historic links to the Games.

“From the first Oceania qualifier for Tokyo 2020 in Sydney, and now Melbourne for Paris 2024, Australia has been with us every step of our Olympic journey so far. I look forward to an exciting event with our friends at Sport Climbing Australia and welcoming more athlete’s that will join us at our second Olympic competition.”

The event will be part funded by the IFSC and the Victorian Government, through the Significant Sporting Events Program which supports organisations to deliver national, international or regionally significant events. 

The IFSC Oceania Qualifier 2023 will be one of a series of five standalone continental Olympic qualification events from which athletes gaining qualification will join climbers who have already secured their place at the summer showpiece from the IFSC Climbing World Championships Bern 2023. 

Article first posted by IFSC.

The first half of the 2023 IFSC Lead World Cup Series has seen Australian climbers take to competition walls in Innsbruck, Villars and Chamonix.

Photo credit: @samm_pratt

Oceana Mackenzie, Maya Stasiuk, Dylan Parks and Max Pare competed at the first lead event of the season in Innsbruck last month. While it was a quick change of pace and endurance strategy for those who competed in the bouldering events just days earlier, this didn't stop any of the climbers from achieving outstanding results. Oceana finished 37th and Maya finished 72nd, with Dylan and Max finishing 73rd and 98th respectively in the men's field.

Photo credit: @lami.victor

Australia's only Lead World Cup climber in Villars was Emily Scott, who competed in Boulder World Cup events in Japan and South Korea earlier in the year.  The 17 year old finished in 72nd place, which she backed up the following week with a 79th place in Chamonix. When reflecting on her season, Emily says "there is always room for improvement, but coming off Villars I was happy with how I was climbing and felt ready for Chamonix. I couldn't quite find my flow on the first climb but felt like I climbed better on the next one. I'm proud of going out and really enjoying my second climb because at big points it's so easy to forget to enjoy the climbs."

Photo credit: @lami.victor

Oceana Mackenzie, Campbell Harrison and Dylan Soin also competed in Chamonix, with the event being the first of the season for both male athletes. The location had special meaning for Campbell, who competed in his first ever Lead World Cup back in 2016 at Chamonix with the iconic Mount Blanc backdrop. Speaking before the competition, Campbell said "I'm definitely a little nervous, but for the most part my preparation has gone well and I'm feeling good on the wall during training. I'm not attending quite as many comps this year as I normally would with the Oceania Olympic Selection taking place so late in the year. The goal for these coming events is to test my shape, see where I'm at right now, and learn what I need to do in order to be ready for the next one." Dylan had a similar mindset, saying "I have been training hard all winter, and I’m looking forward to giving it everything I have with the rest of the Australian team. The wall looks amazing and the backdrop and atmosphere makes for a perfect start to my season."

Photo credit: @janvirtphotography / IFSC

Both male athletes put in strong performances, with Campbell finishing in 41st and Dylan in 73rd. Oceana made it through to her first lead semi-finals since the 2018 Lead World Cup in Xiamen and finished an impressive 23rd place in the women's field. Campbell and Oceana both have their eyes on the next Lead World Cup event in Briancon, where they will be joined by Western Australian climber Aiden Yanev. This will be the last competition before the World Championships in Bern, where the first Olympic quota places are on offer to qualify for Paris 2024.

Keep up with all the Australian Climbing Team news on Instagram at @ausclimbing.

Oceana Mackenzie is the first Australian athlete to achieve a top ten world ranking in sport climbing - and she's not stopping any time soon.

Photo credit: @vladek_zumr

After a demanding World Cup Boulder series spanning Hachioji, Seoul, Salt Lake City, Prague, Brixen and Innsbruck, Oceana finished ranked seventh. "Honestly it feels amazing to be 7th in the world for boulder this year, but mostly I'm just proud of the progress and confidence I've gained. I'm always more focused on how I felt through each comp rather than the number it gives me (although that's just an added bonus)".

Oceana's best performance was in Brixen, where she qualified for finals to finish in an impressive fifth place. In terms of her strategy, she says that "I learnt new things after every event, so before every comp I change something slightly. My biggest focus after the first World Cup (which didn't go so well for me) was trying to be more confident and getting into my "comp" mindset."

The World Cup Lead series has well and truly now kicked off, with Oceana already improving on her 37th place in Innsbruck to qualify for semi-finals and finish 23rd in Chamonix. 

Photo credit: @lami.victor

Other Australians competing on the lead wall in Chamonix include Campbell Harrison (41st), Dylan Soin (73rd) and Emily Scott (79th). Grace Crowley and Chad Horton were both in action on the speed wall, recording times of 9.03 and 7.02 to finish 39th and 62nd respectively. 

After representing Australia in sport climbing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Oceana has her sights firmly set on qualifying for Paris 2024 and living the Olympic dream a second time. "I'm feeling excited, it's always cool to see the sport I love gaining more recognition. There are multiple selection events, but the one I'm most focused on is the Oceania Championships in November. But for now, all eyes are on the World Cups".  

Photo credit: @vladek_zumr

The WattleNest welcomed para climber Sarah Larcombe into the studio recently to discuss her achievements on the World Cup Circuit and the importance of inclusivity on the climbing wall.

Photo credit: @xsloba

Listen to the interview with Rachel Condos-Fields and Nana Owusu-Afriyie here. Sarah had an outstanding World Cup series for 2023 with silver medals in the AL2 category in Salt Lake City, Innsbruck and Villars, but Sarah's focus is on continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible in sport climbing - 'I know what I want to improve and I'll work as hard as I can to make that happen'. 

Photo credit: @lenadrapella