The Boulder & Lead Mixed occasion on the Paris Olympics begins tomorrow, Monday August 5. Over the following six days, twenty climbers in every gender class will compete in separate bouldering and lead climbing phases, the place they’ll accumulate factors to realize a mixed rating. Within the semi-finals, these factors decide who strikes by way of to the finals. Within the finals, these factors decide who podiums and earns the coveted title of Olympic champion.
So, how precisely does this level system work? Are bouldering and lead phases scored identical to Boulder World Cups and Lead World Cups? The brief reply isn’t any. Though the rule techniques are very comparable between Olympic and World Cup competitors, the brand new Olympic Boulder & Lead Mixed format has a model new scoring system. It’s solely been used a number of occasions at Paris Olympic-qualifying competitions such because the World Championships final summer time, the continental qualifier occasions, and the Olympic Qualifier Sequence.
On this article, let’s dive into how the Boulder & Lead Mixed occasion is being scored on the Paris Olympics. We’ll first clarify how the comp is organized into rounds. We’ll then talk about the scoring and guidelines of bouldering, adopted by the scoring and guidelines of lead climbing.
Rounds
The Boulder & Lead occasion within the Paris Olympics can have two rounds: a semi-final and a closing. Within the semi-final, all athletes will take part, with the highest eight climbers in every gender class with the very best factors transferring on to compete within the finals. The amount of climbing is equal within the semi-finals and finals: climbers try 4 boulder issues and one lead route in every of the 2 rounds.
There are some refined variations between the rounds. Within the semi-final Boulder part, athletes get 5 minutes per downside to climb 4 issues. Within the closing Boulder part, athletes solely get 4 minutes per downside for the 4 issues. Nevertheless, earlier than the ultimate spherical begins, climbers get an statement interval of two minutes per boulder.
In each the Lead semi-final and closing, athletes get a most of six minutes to climb the route. Earlier than the spherical begins, they get six minutes to look at the route. They’ll use binoculars and make sketches, however they don’t seem to be allowed to video file the route.
The person rounds of the Boulder and Lead phases for every gender class are scattered throughout the following six days. See beneath for the entire Boulder & Lead Mixed schedule within the Paris Olympics:
Monday August 5
- Males’s Boulder Semi-final – 7:00am ET (4:00am PT)
Tuesday August 6
- Ladies’s Boulder Semi-final – 7:00am ET (4:00am PT)
Wednesday August 7
- Males’s Lead Semi-final – 7:00am ET (4:00am PT)
Thursday August 8
- Ladies’s Lead Semi-final – 7:00am ET (4:00am PT)
Friday August 9
- Males’s Boulder Ultimate – 7:15am ET (4:15am PT)
- Males’s Lead Ultimate – 9:35am ET (6:35am PT)
Saturday August 10
- Ladies’s Boulder Ultimate – 7:15am ET (4:15am PT)
- Ladies’s Lead Ultimate – 9:35am ET (6:35am PT)
Boulder Scoring
Within the bouldering rounds, athletes climb 4 issues, every value as much as 25 factors, for a complete most of 100 factors for the spherical. Not like Boulder World Cup issues, the climbs within the Olympic bouldering rounds will function two “zone” holds. Climbers that safe the low zone maintain are awarded 5 factors. Climbers that safe the excessive zone maintain are awarded 10 factors whole. Topping the issue earns climbers the complete 25 factors.
This isn’t the entire image although. The variety of makes an attempt to high or zone holds matter as properly. For every failed try, 0.1 is deducted from the athlete’s rating. For instance, if a climber takes two makes an attempt to succeed in the low zone, they’re awarded 4.9 factors. In the event that they proceed to climb and attain the excessive zone on their second try, they’re awarded 9.9 factors whole. In the event that they proceed climbing and high the issue on this second try, they’re awarded 24.9 factors whole.
Right here’s one other instance. A climber reaches the low zone on their flash go (incomes 5 factors) however they fall shortly afterwards. They attain the excessive zone on their third try (incomes 9.8 factors whole) however fall going for the highest. They fight for the highest three extra occasions however are unsuccessful. The three makes an attempt they took for the highest after reaching the excessive zone will not be subtracted from their excessive zone rating. After securing a zone maintain, no extra level deductions happen for that zone maintain on subsequent makes an attempt for reaching high. Their closing level rating for the issue can be 9.8 factors whole.
Factors from every downside are added collectively for whole bouldering spherical rating. For instance, if an athlete flashed the primary three issues however solely reached the low zone after two makes an attempt on the fourth downside, their whole rating for the spherical can be 79.9 factors (25 + 25 + 25 +4.9).
Boulder Guidelines
Within the semi-finals and finals, the climbing guidelines are the identical. Climbers should start every downside on designated beginning holds. These holds are marked with tape – one piece of tape per limb. Within the instance picture beneath, climbers would probably begin with one hand on every of the tiny yellow holds and one foot on every of the low yellow sloping holds.
Climbers are at the beginning aiming to “high” the issues. To high an issue, a climber should get two palms securely on the ultimate maintain. This closing maintain is clearly labelled with the quantity “25” within the Olympics, as seen within the instance beneath. A climber should present management with each palms on this closing maintain to ensure that the highest to rely. They’ll’t simply soar and slap the maintain.
If a climber can’t attain the highest of an issue, they a minimum of need to attain the low or excessive zone holds. These holds often lie someplace in the course of the issue and are clearly marked. As seen within the picture beneath, the low zone is marked with the quantity “5” and the excessive zone is marked with the quantity “10”. A climber should present management of a zone maintain with both hand to be awarded factors. They can not simply slap to the maintain after which fall off.
Lead Scoring
Like bouldering rounds, lead rounds are additionally value 100 factors. The lead routes on the Paris Olympics are damaged down into 5 part, the place every part differs based mostly on the variety of factors a climber achieves for reaching every particular person handholds in that part. To make sense of those factors, it’s finest to first consider them from the highest of the route downwards:
- The ultimate 10 holds of the route are value 4 factors every
- Holds 11 to twenty from the highest are value 3 factors every
- Holds 21 to 30 from the highest are value 2 factors every
- Holds 31 to 40 from the highest are value 1 level every
- Holds 41 and above from the highest are value 0 factors every
Totally different lead routes can have totally different numbers of holds, based mostly on no matter route the setters create. If there are greater than 40 holds on a route, the primary part of the route with have holds which might be value zero factors. As soon as climbers attain the fortieth maintain from the highest, every maintain is value one level. This “1 level per maintain” part of the route lasts for 10 holds, from holds 40 to 31 from the highest. The part is signaled to climbers with a quantity “1” signal on maintain 40 from the highest.
As soon as climbers attain the thirtieth maintain from the highest, every maintain is value two factors. This “2 factors per maintain” part of the route lasts for 10 holds, from holds 30 to 21 from the highest. The part is signaled to climbers with a quantity “10” signal on maintain 30 from the highest.
Upon reaching the twentieth maintain from the highest, every maintain is value 3 factors. This “3 factors per maintain” part of the route lasts for 10 holds, from holds 20 to 11 from the highest. The part is signaled to climbers with quantity “30” signal on maintain 20 from the highest. The “30” represents to whole factors reached up to now (0 from the primary part, 10 from the second part, and 20 from the third part.
As soon as climbers attain the tenth maintain from the highest, every maintain is value 4 factors. This “4 factors per maintain” part of the route lasts for 10 holds, from the tenth from the highest to closing maintain of the route. The part is signaled to climbers with a quantity “60” signal on maintain 10 from the highest. The “60” represents to whole factors reached up to now (0 from the primary part, 10 from the second part, 20 from the third part, and 30 from the fourth part). The highest maintain is marked with the quantity “100”, representing an ideal 100-point rating.
If a climber secures a selected maintain however then falls whereas transferring in the direction of the following maintain, they’re awarded 0.1 factors. For instance, if a climber grabs the second-last maintain of the route (incomes 96 factors) however falls lunging in the direction of the ultimate maintain, they are going to be awarded 96.1 factors.
After climbing a lead route, an athlete’s factors rating is added to their factors rating from the boulder spherical, giving a Boulder & Lead Mixed rating. If two or extra opponents are tied in factors, their standings within the earlier spherical is used to interrupt the tie.
Lead Guidelines
Climbers solely get one try at a lead route per spherical. This makes for some very excessive threat climbing – in the event that they fall, their one and solely try is completed. Athletes should not seize or pull on quickdraws or stand on bolts whereas climbing (though fortunately bolts are sometimes lined in trendy comps, stopping this subject). Each quickdraw have to be clipped so as. If a climber clips quickdraw #4 earlier than #3 for instance, they’re disqualified.
Athletes will not be allowed to skip any quickdraws. If they’re tremendous pumped and unable to make a clip, they’re permitted to climb past the quickdraw, however they may solely be awarded factors for holds the place it was nonetheless doable to make the clip. Any holds they attain past this won’t rely in the direction of their rating.
As beforehand talked about, climbers solely get six minutes to finish a lead route. In the event that they day trip, they’re awarded factors for the maintain they had been at when the clock struck 0 seconds.
Extra Olympics Info
