Patroned by the IFSC – International Federation of Sport Climbing, the Youth World Championship has been held annually since 1992.
In 2001 the Speed World Championship was added to the Lead World Championship, and as of Arco 2015 the triad of disciplines will be completed with the addition of the Boulder World Championship.
The athletes will compete in three categories: Under 16, Under 18 and Under 20.
Every National Team may field 4 athletes per category, per genre and discipline, in addition to the reigning World and Continental champions.
THE COMPETITIONS
Lead
This is the most classic sport climbing discipline. The one which represents the essence of this sport, for both climbers and non-climbers alike. Athletes climb an extremely difficult route and attempt to reach the summit, the top as it is called in climbing terms. Only the strongest manage to clinch the final hold, while all the others fall along the route, held safely by the rope.
The climber’s performance equates to the highest point reached. In the Semifinal and Final athletes climb a route they have never seen before and this is why they are held in an isolation area prior to their turn.
The route must be climbed within a certain time limit, 6 minutes in the Qualifications and 8 minutes in the Semifinal and Final.
26 athletes qualify for the Semifinal, 8 proceed to the Final.
There is no Superfinal. If athletes are joint-equal count back is used, i.e. the results of the previous rounds are taken into consideration. If stil joint-equal, time is used.
When: Qualification 1/2 September, Semifinals 3 September, Finals 5 September
Boulder
The youngest sport climbing discipline celebrates its Youth World Championship debut this year. Bouldering competition is about climbing without ropes on short walls (also called boulder problems), max 4.5 m high. Falls are stopped by specifically designed mattresses. This discipline is particularly fascinating thanks to the intense difficulties concentrated into a couple of meters, the short competition time and the close proximity to the spectators.
What counts is reaching the final hold (the top in climbing terms), while the result is determined by the overall number of boulders sent and the number of attempts needed. If athletes do not reach the finishing hold they may be awarded a bonus point for having reached a particularly demanding zone. 20 athletes qualify for the Semifinal, while only 6 proceed to the Final.
When: Qualification 28/29 August, Semifinals and Finals 30 August
Speed
Speed is the only factor that counts in the Speed Climbing event, those who climb the slightly overhanging 15m high IFSC certified vertical piste the fastest become World Champions.
The athletes race against the clock in the qualifications to proceed to the Final. In the rounds that follow they compete in a sort of head-to-head on two identical, parallel routes which result in direct elimination.
The wall and route are always the same, a standard set by the IFSC to compare results and set new world records. Currently the World record is held by Danyl Boldirev from the Ukraine who stopped the clock after 5”60, and Russia’s Iuliia Kaplina who raced to the top in startling 7″85.
When: 4 September