Setting goals for sport climbing

Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Marco Scolaris is the president of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

I have learnt a lot as a long-time climber and president of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). One thing that proved to be important is that goal setting can be a superpower.

This applies to both sport and life.

When I co-founded the IFSC back in 2007, I asked anyone who would listen whether they were in agreement with the objective of seeing sport climbing in the Olympic Games by 2028. Some greeted my words with laughter. Others rolled their eyes. Many thought I was crazy.

As it turns out, my goal was actually short-sighted. Sport climbing became an Olympic sport a full eight years earlier than I had envisaged, making its debut at Tokyo 2020 only 13 years after the creation of the IFSC.

This was a truly unique achievement in the comparatively slow-moving world of Olympic sports, and it all started with a dream and some "unrealistic" expectations to see it materialize.

What you dare to dream, dare to do.

As we approach sport climbing's next appearance at the Olympic Games from August 5-10 in Paris, I sometimes wonder how many of the 68 climbers who will compete there have similar mindsets. How many of them told their families, friends and peers when they were just starting out in the sport that they would one day become Olympians? How many of them set "unrealistic" goals and made them happen in spite of the odds? Knowing climbers as well as I do, I suspect the number is quite high.

One interesting curiosity about climbing is that you tend to spend a lot of time looking up, which is a terrific metaphor for life. I am a firm believer that keeping your head up allows you to constantly consider new horizons and new challenges. When one goal gets accomplished, you should always have an even more inspiring task ready to pursue next.

When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in 2016 that sport climbing was being added at Tokyo 2020, for example, we didn't simply pat ourselves on the back for a job well done and retire. We rolled up our sleeves and set our sights even higher, acutely aware that our work was just beginning – and with far greater responsibilities than before.

Becoming an Olympic sport posed a number of new challenges for us as a Federation. The level of complexity, politicization and a host of other factors put us in unknown territory that required more maturity and flexibility in certain areas of our organization.

Here again goal setting was transformative. By aiming high, we managed to transition rapidly from what had largely been a group of friends following their passion into a structured, professional entity. Extensive education and training were required for each stakeholder, and through it all we worked diligently to manifest our vision – to make the world a better place through climbing – and we have insisted on doing so as sustainably as possible.

By keeping our core values and aims in mind, our other activities also became more manageable. We have since had great success showcasing sport climbing through different events, developing our sport globally, strengthening membership and governance, increasing brand awareness, and promoting our sport around the world. Last year, we were officially granted full membership in the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), the umbrella body for the Summer Olympic International Federations, a result that makes sport climbing a core sport for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) and likely onward.

Of course, none of this happened alone. We have been supported along the way by a number of experienced national federations, not the least of which was the Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA), led by President Li Zhixin. The CMA's exceptional organizational skills, both as hosts of elite climbing events and as sports administrators, have set a good example for other climbing federations around the world to follow, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the CMA team for all they have done to promote sport climbing in China and internationally.

Together, we are now quickly closing in on our next milestone: the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Soon sport climbing will make its second Olympic appearance, and as always, we will continue to make significant advances.

The total number of medal events for sport climbing will double from two at Tokyo 2020 to four in Paris thanks to two separate events: Speed and a combined Boulder & Lead event. This development has also led to a significant increase in the number of climbers, from 40 in Tokyo to 68 in Paris.

Perhaps most exciting of all, especially for our athletes, is that a live audience will be at our venue in Paris this summer, providing us with our first full taste of the Olympic experience following a somewhat restricted debut during the pandemic three years ago.

After accomplishing so much so quickly for sport climbing, it may come as a surprise to learn that I am still not entirely satisfied. My head remains up, always on the lookout for a new goal (or two) to work towards. For LA28 and beyond, for example, our aim is to have three separate events (Speed, Lead and Boulder) and even more athletes competing. Only then will the world get a true display of just how incredibly talented our athletes are while performing in their specialized events.

I wish all our Olympic hopefuls the best of luck in fulfilling their dreams. Win or lose, keep aiming high.

World up. Keep climbing!

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