Road to LA28
Climbing returns at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics — and for the first time with three separate medals: Boulder, Lead and Speed. The much-debated Combined format is retired.
The program
Boulder
Standalone medal, men & women. At least 12 climbers per gender.
Lead
Standalone medal, men & women. At least 12 climbers per gender.
Speed
Standalone medal, men & women. 14 climbers per gender. (Not tracked on Crimpedia yet.)
Six events in all (three disciplines × two genders), 76 athletes total, at the Long Beach venue. Each nation may enter at most two climbers per gender, per discipline.
How athletes qualify
Quota places are won at designated events — not from the World Cup ranking. The pathway:
| 2027 events | The World Championships plus continental events (European Games, Pan American Games and the Africa/Asia/Oceania qualifiers) award roughly half the quota — one place per event. |
| Olympic Qualifier Series (2028) | Three events allocate the remaining places — at least four each in Boulder and Lead, and six in Speed. |
| Host & universality | One place per gender, per discipline for the host nation (USA), plus one universality place. |
| Nation limit | Each country may qualify a maximum of two climbers per gender, per discipline. |
Qualification timeline
Istanbul, Turkey · continental qualifier
Lima, Peru · continental qualifier
Brno, Czechia · qualifier
Africa · Asia · Oceania · dates to be confirmed
three events · dates & venues to be confirmed
Long Beach, USA · 721 days to go
In form right now
A guide to who's climbing well — the current IFSC world ranking. This is a form indicator, not Olympic qualification: no LA28 quota places have been decided yet, and they won't come from this ranking. Speed isn't tracked here.
Boulder
Lead
Format & quota per the LA28, USA Climbing and IOC announcements. Qualification details are provisional and may be updated by the IFSC/IOC. New to the disciplines? See the guide.