Olympic Climbing 1924 to 2024
by Philip Barker at Le Bourget
A five-second wonder has helped sport climbing take another huge step in its second appearance at the Olympic Games.
Veddriq Leonardo of Indonesia took the men’s competition defeating Wu Peng of China in a time of 4.75 seconds.
Sam Watson of the United States spent even less time to win bronze in what is known as the “Small Final.” His 4.74 was a world record. Has any Olympic medal been won with more despatch?
The day before, the women’s event had been won by Aleksandra Miroslaw of Poland in 6.10 seconds, Lijuan Den of China took silver and another Pole, Aleksandra Kalucka finished with bronze.
The competitions played to packed houses which revelled in the quickfire action.
The events held in Paris also include Boulder and Lead.
It was all quite a contrast with the first time an Olympic gold medal was awarded for climbing 100 years ago.
Baron Pierre de Coubertin had always been keen on promoting what was described as “alpinism.”
He had already persuaded his fellow International Olympic Committee (IOC) members to introduce prizes for art, and at the 1911 IOC Session in Budapest, Count Eugenio Brunetta d’Usseaux from Italy “gave an explanation of the importance of a medal for alpinism.”
There was to be a prize “for the finest climb accomplished since the celebration of the previous Olympiad.”
The first world war put many plans on hold but as Paris prepared for 1924, the Marquis de Polignac informed the Organising Committee of the IOC decision to include a prize for alpinism.
The medals were presented during what later became known as the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix.
Coubertin described “a moving occasion at the foot of Mont Blanc.” The medals for alpinism were awarded to the members of a team of 21 led by Charles Granville Bruce.
The deputy commander of the expedition Lieutenant Colonel Edward Strutt was described by Coubertin as a “a courageous Englishman who, defeated but not discouraged, swore to leave it [his medal] the next time at the top of the highest summit in the Himalayas.”
Their expedition included the notable climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. They had made a gallant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt on Everest in 1922.
A few months later, another expedition set out to conquer Everest. This ended in tragedy as Mallory and Irvine both died.
Medals for Alpinism were also presented in 1932 and 1936 but the award was discontinued after the second world war.
Sport Climbing was introduced at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires before it was admitted to the full Olympic programme in Tokyo.
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