Championships has given sport climbing ‘greater credibility & visibility’, say organisers
The organisers of Sport Climbing in Europe have praised the European Championships Munich 2022 for giving their sport “more credibility” and “bigger visibility”.
The multi-sport nature of the event, where nine sports featured in the 1972 Olympic Park and across the Bavarian capital, has allowed climbing to benefit in multiple ways according to its governing body, the IFSC.
Its European Council President, Tijl Smitz said: “I think it’s really great to be among all the other traditional sports here. For sure, it gives more credibility to sport climbing. It also allows us to have way bigger visibility across Europe in the live television coverage.
“And I also think it’s really important for us to organise such events in this context because it makes it more feasible for us to do these events. It’s hard to organise these events, to find the volunteers, to find the funding, so for sure it’s made a big difference.”
Sport climbing drew big crowds to the historic Königsplatz in the centre of Munich, they shared with beach volleyall, another new sport for the 2022 edition of the Championships.
“It gives more credibility to sport climbing. It also allows us to have way bigger visibility across Europe.”
This close proximity to each other provided ample opportunity to share knowledge, according to IFSC president Marco Scolaris.
He said: “Being here in Königsplatz with volleyball is really great. We see the way they manage their event and they see they way we manage ours and with this synergy for sure we improve the quality of our events in the future.”
Now IFSC are set to go away and assess the full impact of what was a thrilling competition in Munich.
“I think we can hardly grasp what the impact will be,” added Smitz.
“From what I have heard from the different nations and people back at home, in my country Belgium, from France, from Italy and here in Germany – it’s big.
“For example, Hannah Meul (women’s boulder silver medallist) told me she’s getting messages from people who were with her in primary school saying ‘hey I just saw you on television’. It’s insane what’s happening. Everyone is seeing our sport on the screen and loving it. I think the impact is huge.”