Everything You Need to Know about USA Team Trials 2024
From March 5th to 8th, 2024, a group of the top female and male American climbers gathered at the brand new Sportrock Climbing Centers Rio in Gaithersburg, MD, to vie for their spots on the U.S. National Team. The competition was divided into three disciplines: bouldering, sport climbing, and speed climbing. Bouldering involves climbing short, difficult routes without the use of ropes. Sport climbing is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock for protection. Speed climbing is a race to the top of a 15-meter wall. Let’s dive into what went down daily in Gaithersburg and then recap the results.
Weekend Breakdown
With the results out of the way, what did the competitors face over the weekend leading up to the final roster selection? Depending on the discipline(s) they competed in and their success, they could have climbed anywhere between one and four days.
Tuesday, March 5th: Speed and Lead
On Tuesday morning, Speed Trials began with a Benchmark round. Following the benchmark round, 16 women and 22 men competed in the qualification round in the early afternoon. In the evening, eight women and 16 men competed in the finals.
Tuesday also marked the start of the lead qualification round, which was split into speed qualifications and finals. Thirty-two men and twenty-four women competed in the qualification rounds, each having to climb two set routes.
Wednesday, March 6th: Lead Semis and Finals
Wednesday was all about lead. In the morning, 25 women and 25 men faced down their one route as the competition format shifted to onsight (with isolation). In the evening, the top 8 men and women advancing from semis competed in lead finals.
Thursday, March 7th: Boulder Qualifications
Thursday was a late start day, with no climbing in the morning. Every round of the boulder competition was an onsight format with isolation. Thirty-one women and 35 men checked in to isolation and competed in the first round.
Friday, March 8th: Boulder Semis and Finals
On the morning of the last day of competition, twenty men and twenty women advanced to the semi-finals. The field then narrowed to six men and six women for the finals.
2024 Team Trials Results
While many new National Team Members saw themselves at the top of the podium at the end of the weekend, finishing first was not the deciding factor for the newest USA Team members. USA Climbing keeps track of elite competitor rankings via a points system. This system awards points based on the competitor’s performance in various pre-determined competitions, including the Team Trials. The more points a competitor earns, the higher their ranking. At the end of this weekend, two new females and males joined the boulder, lead, and speed 2024 rosters based on their points standing. The other 2024 National Team Rosters climbers have pre-qualified through different events, such as the U.S. National Championships, ranking among the world’s elite, or qualifying for the Olympics.
Boulder
Walking away from the weekend are two happy men and women who added their names to the 2024 Boulder National Team. Melina Costanza and Helen Gillett (trials bouldering champion) will join Kyra Condie, Natalia Grossman, Brooke Raboutou, and Annie Sanders on the World Cup Circuit this year. The World Cup Circuit is a series of international climbing competitions, where the best climbers from around the world compete for the top spot. On the men’s side, Dillon Countryman and Hugo Hoyer (men’s trials bouldering champion) will join Colin Duffy and Jesse Grupper. These four men will represent the USA in the World Cup Circuit, showcasing their skills and competing against the world’s best climbers.
Lead
For the women, Annie Sanders took the gold and earned a spot along with Melina Costanza on the 2024 Lead National Team. Annie’s performance was nothing short of spectacular, as she flawlessly navigated the challenging route, showcasing her strength and agility. The rest of the women’s Lead National Team roster is as follows: Kyra Condie, Kylie Cullen, Natalia Grossman, and Brooke Raboutou. These women, each with their unique climbing style and strengths, are sure to make a formidable team. Declan Osgood and Hugo Hoyer went first and second in the lead portion of the team trials, earning their spots on the 2024 Lead National team alongside Jesse Grupper and Colin Duffy. Their performances were a testament to their skill and dedication, as they tackled the difficult route with precision and speed.
Speed
Sophia Curcio and Kaitlyn Bone, the first and second-place finishers in the women’s speed trials, will join Emma Hunt and Piper Kelly on the 2024 Speed National Team. Noah Bratschi, the men’s Speed winner at the Team trials, and Zachary Hammer, the fourth-place finisher, will join John Brosler and Sam Watson to round out the men on the 2024 Speed National Team Roster.
And that’s a wrap on the thrilling and adrenaline-pumping 2024 USA National Team Trials! It was an electrifying weekend for the athletes and the newly opened host gym, Sportrock Rio, and a riveting watch for all spectators and climbing fans via the live stream on Outside Watch. (Head to Outside Watch to check out the archived live streams from the event!) Get ready to be on the edge of your seat as the newest team members and seasoned veterans tackle the global competition in the upcoming World Cup Series and in Paris at the 2024 Olympics!
