Discovery operation… Climbing made its debut this Tuesday at the Olympic Games in the Aomi Urban Sports Park in Tokyo Bay.
There is no question of setting out to storm the rocky walls or the skyscrapers that are not lacking in the Japanese capital.
The format of the event has been codified especially for the Olympic Games, in order to stick to the motto "faster, higher, stronger".
Each competitor will have to do a difficulty course (individual roped climb), a speed course (very spectacular two-man race with a parallel route on a 15 m wall) and a boulder (several courses from 4.5 m to do in a limited time).
The final ranking will be established by cumulating the results of the three disciplines.
“It's really the Olympic event,” explains Julia Chanourdie, 25, one of the contenders for the title.
This does not usually exist.
The three disciplines are normally separate and rather than choosing just one to award a medal, the organizers have chosen to marry the three.
"A" one shot "since there will be two competitions (bouldering / difficulty and speed) in Paris in 2024. In these conditions, the preparation was not necessarily easy.
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"It's disturbing for training," says the Habs.
Speed is not my discipline at all.
We had to integrate it and progress.
It didn't displease me because I have explosive qualities and a little athletic background.
Everything has been planned to maintain the suspense and hold the viewers or the few volunteers who will fill the stands.
“Frankly, they have succeeded, continues the French champion.
It will be undecided until the end and everyone has a chance.
The points awarded will be the multiplication of places in each discipline, which means that it is better to be first in one discipline and less terrible in the other two than to be regular.
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Everyone will have to establish their strategy according to their abilities. “The speed specialists are really not at the level for bouldering and difficulty, blows the Frenchwoman. They will therefore try to gain speed in qualifying to be in the final and then count on a little luck. Me, my strategy will be rather to be as much as possible in the three. The coaches are going for a walk with the calculator in hand, it's going to be a horrible day! "
