How to Keep Up with Climbing Post-Paris Olympics
The post-Olympic blues are real. Three weeks of nonstop, top-notch sports action leaves a big hole in the aftermath for sports fans, new and old. For some, the start of the NFL season, WNBA/NBA games, and Premier League will fill the void. Others will rewatch Olympic footage, wishing they knew where to watch the niche sports (like rock climbing) spotlighted at the Olympics.
While indoor rock climbing has skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade, it is still a relatively new and unknown sport. Mainstream networks and sports channels don’t cover professional climbing events. Rock climbing fans, new and old, who eagerly watched the elite climbers take the Olympic stage for the second-ever time, may find it challenging to keep up with the sport post-Olympics.
Everyone should be able to watch climbing and support the strong, inspirational athletes that won the world’s attention in Paris. To help support that reality, check out the breakdown below of where and how to keep up with climbing after the Paris Olympics.
Where to Keep Up with Climbing
Whether you’re a fan of professional competitions or enjoy consuming climbing-related content, this list has you covered. The first is the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). As the international governing body and competition organizer for elite climbing competitions, they host a series of yearly international competitions known as World Cups and regional-based events. The best part? Every event is live-streamed on the IFSC YouTube page and posted for later viewing so you can catch the action at your convenience.
The 2024 season is wrapping up, but there are a handful of events to catch in the last quarter of 2024. They haven’t released 2025 event dates yet, but keep an eye on their calendar.
IFSC Events – Remainder 2024
October
- Oct. 10th -14th Asian Championships Tai’an – All disciplines
- Oct. 15th – 20th South American Cup Ibarra – All disciplines
- Oct. 18th – 20th Madrid 4 Speed – Speed
November
- Nov. 10th – 13th NEOM Masters – Boulder and Speed
- Nov. 18th – 24th IFSC Pan American Championships Santago – All disciplines
- Nov. 20 South American Cup Mar del Plata – Boulder
- Nov. 14th – 20th South American Cup Curitiba – All
IFSC events and coverage are the best way to follow climbing competitions, but there are many other avenues to stay up-to-date with rock climbing news and athletes.
Social Media
Social media is one of the best ways to stay connected with the climbing community. Many professional climbers rely on sponsorships and social media to supplement their income and regularly post updates on their training and climbing endeavors. It’s a great way to stay entertained and connect to your favorite athletes.
Athletes regularly post training footage and updates on indoor and outdoor climbing endeavors. Follow your favorite athletes’ social media to stay up to date with their climbing and competition results.
YouTube Channels
A handful of climbers and groups of climbers have invested in YouTube channels offering content ranging from entertainment, collaborations, instructional, and cinematic.
Keep up with Mellow YouTube, started by world-class boulderers Daniel Woods, Shawn Rabotou, Jimmy Webb, and Giuliano Cameroni, for cinematic videos focused on elite outdoor climbing.
Check out Magnus Mitbo’s YouTube (if you have yet to stumble across a video) for entertaining climbing content. A former elite climber turned content creator, he dives into all aspects of climbing. He’s collaborated with the current generation of elite climbers and athletes from various other sports, trading athletic experiences. Some content is pure entertainment featuring inventive climbing-related challenges.
Emil Abrahamsson is another high-level climber offering climbing-related content similar to Magnus Mitbo. Many videos feature collaborations between the two.
Adam Ondra, a two-time Olympian and elite climber, has a YouTube channel that’s a must for climbing enthusiasts. As one of the strongest climbers, his videos dive into more technical aspects, like training tips, or go behind the scenes of some of his most significant ascents. It’s a great resource for those looking to improve their climbing skills.
Hannah Morris Bouldering is the YouTube channel to follow if the Olympics have left you wanting to dive into climbing or improve. Hannah isn’t a professional climber, making her content relatable to many recreational climbers. She has access to training with the pros and seasoned climbing coach Be Baldwin-Fuller. The result is informative yet entertaining videos that will give you training tips for your climbing.
EpicTV offers mini-documentaries on various aspects of climbing. Some tell stories of difficult outdoor ascents and climbers’ journeys to success. Their most recent series documented an Icelandic climber’s quest to qualify for Paris.
EpicTV Climbing Daily, EpicTV’s partner channel, offers climbing news stories in video format. While videos aren’t uploaded daily, check out their videos for competition recaps and climbing gear reviews.
There’s no need to go through climbing footage withdrawal and post-Olympic blues when there are many ways to keep up with climbing. Not only can you keep up with the professional competition circuit via the IFSC, but there are options for following outdoor climbing news and learning more about the sport and how to improve if you’re interested in participating, too. If we missed any platforms worthy of note, share them down below to help others out! We’d love to hear from you and build a stronger climbing community.
