IOC's decision to separate speed climbing from other disciplines paying off

LE BOURGET, France — Aleksandra Miroslaw, a Polish sport climber with her hair pulled in a ponytail on Wednesday, blazed up the speed climbing wall and did more than win a gold medal.

She officially introduced the astonishing speed of sport to the Olympics, with the shiny medal validation for her skill.

Yes, sport climbing made its debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021, but you probably didn’t hear too much about the stunning speed because of a strange competitive format.

Imagine Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter in Olympic history, having been required to do more than run the 100 meters to medal. But instead, to have required him win an event that combined times from the 100, the 1,500 and, maybe, the steeplechase.

 

Sport climbing has three competitive disciplines: "speed," the sport climbing equivalent of the 100-meter dash, along with "boulder" and "lead," which more closely approximate traditional rock climbing. In Tokyo, the climbers competed in all three disciplines, with a combined score determining the medalists.

Miroslaw broke the world record for women's speed climbing in Tokyo, but there was no signature moment. (The women’s gold medal went to Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret for her victory in the speed/boulder/lead combined event.)