Venue
In 2023, the Kletterzentrum Innsbruck will once again host a Climbing World Cup.
The "KI", Kletterzentrum Innsbruck, opened its doors in May 2017, and it is one of the world's largest and most modern climbing venues. It sets new standards in terms of size, quality, and architecture. The Kletterzentrum Innsbruck will break new ground when it comes to creating synergies between recreational sports and competitive sports. For everyone, hobby- and professional climbers alike, there are 5,700 m² of climbable surface: 3,000 m² for indoor lead climbing, 1,200 m² for bouldering and 1,500 m² for outdoor climbing. The “KI” offers everything a climber’s heart could possibly desire.
Disciplines
The IFSC Climbing World Cup 2023 combines all three disciplines of Sport Climbing in one event – Lead, Boulder and Speed.
All disciplines require different skills from the athletes.
Lead:
This is the supreme discipline of climbing and Lead competitions have been organised for more than 30 years. The climbers face a 15 – 20 meter high wall and climb the routes with a safety rope. The goal is to climb as far as possible on a previously set route within a time limit. This discipline requires a lot of power, endurance and determination.
Boulder:
Bouldering is climbing without a rope or harness. The walls are smaller which means the climbers can jump down and are protect by mats. The athletes face a previously set round of boulder problems and need to climb them in as little tries as possible within a time limit. This discipline primarily requires coordination, power and flexibility.
Speed:
The name says it all. Speed Climbing means climbing a normed route on a normed wall as fast as possible. One could say this is the vertical version of the sprint. The wall is 15 meters high and the world’s best athletes only need 5.5 seconds to climb it. This discipline requires strength, speed and power-endurance.
History of Sport Climbing Competitions in Innsbruck
Already in 1991 the first World Cup took place in Innsbruck, however only in the Lead discipline. After some years of waiting and other organizational challenges, the market place in Innsbruck with its breathtaking mountain scenery in the background became the venue for the spectacular Boulder World Cups from 2012 to 2014. In 2016 the Boulder World Cup took place in Innsbruck's Olympic Center for the first time, due to the ever growing number of spectators.
After the Austrian Climbing Federation was busy organizing the Youth Climbing World Championships in 2017 and the Climbing World Championships in 2018, the World Cup format will finally come back to Innsbruck in 2021.
In 2022, there were even two climbing events at the Kletterzentrum Innsbruck. The Innsbruck 2022 FISU World University Championship Sport Climbing and a World Cup.
