A new sport climbing competition, that will pit the world's top climbing nations against each other, will kick off this fall. The IFSC, sport climbing's governing body, has announced the creation of its 'Nations Grand Finale' competition, which will be held in Fukuoka, Japan, from October 23 to 26.
Aiming to combine "innovation, competition and international rivalry", the competition will consist of teams from the top-six-ranked climbing nations, who will face off in new boulder and lead climbing formats.
The current top six nations are Japan, France, Slovenia, Austria, the USA, and Great Britain. Each will nominate two male and two female climbers to compete in Fukuoka, and can bring one reserve climber per gender.
Details about the competition are sparse, although the IFSC has confirmed that a key element will be the "active involvement" of national team coaches, who will "work closely with athletes to develop tactical approaches to the new formats".
The IFSC has also confirmed that Fukuoka will host a new Para Climbing Masters competition in parallel with the Nations Grand Finale, which will include climbers from the eight different sport classes announced for the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.
The IFSC hasn't shared much information about the new para climbing competition, but you can check out our introductory guide for more on para climbing.
The latest competition is scheduled to take place after a busy season, when the world's best sport climbers would usually be putting their feet up.
The final round of the IFSC climbing World Cup ends in mid-September, and the large-scale climbing World Championships conclude at the end of the month. Professional sport climbers would then usually enjoy a lengthy break until the next World Cup begins in April. Regional competitions are usually held during this time, but not worldwide events.
Climbers have already complained about the strain of constant competition, and some, like double Olympic champion Janja Garnbret, have taken time away from the sport to rest and recover.
What is the IFSC?
The International Federation of Sport Climbing, or IFSC, is the governing body responsible for competition climbing events worldwide.
It holds professional climbing events, including the climbing World Cup and para climbing World Cup competitions, which pit the world's best lead climbers, speed climbers, and boulderers against each other in frequent rounds throughout the year.
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