The upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, the creation of the Ethics Commission and the addition of new Member Federations from Asia centred the 2018 IFSC Plenary Assembly in Innsbruck.
Hosted by Austria Climbing, the 13th annual IFSC Plenary Assembly on March 15-17 gathered about 100 delegates from 51 National Federations to prepare for the beginning of a new chapter for Sport Climbing.
200 days until the Youth Olympic Games
Sport Climbing will feature as a medal sport in an Olympic context for the first time at the Youth Olympic Games, just 200 days away on Tuesday. 40 athletes between the ages of 16-17 will climb in Buenos Aires, following their performances at IFSC Youth World Championships Innsbruck and other qualification events in 2017. Ongoing developments for the athletes, officials and venue were presented on Saturday, alongside updates for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
“We couldn’t be prouder of the talented young athletes representing our sport in Buenos Aires, the first Olympians of Sport Climbing, and we will continue working with the IOC to make it the best Youth Olympic Games possible,” says IFSC President Marco Scolaris.
Ethics Commission established
After the publication of the Ethics Charter for the Community, the Ethics Commission was officially established on Saturday to guide its implementation. Marc Le Menestrel was appointed as chairman, and additional members will be added throughout the year.
The IFSC Plenary Assembly also confirmed the interest of the IFSC Executive Board to continue supporting the missions of the Paraclimbing Commission and strengthen Paraclimbing activities in 2018 and beyond.
Expansion in Asia
Two National Federations were voted new Members of the IFSC on Saturday: the Cambodia Climbing Federation (CCF) and the National Association for Climbing and Mountaineering in Sri Lanka (NACMSL). 23 Federations including Continental Members are now represented on the continent of Asia, the most ever.
“As our sport expands in Asia leading up to Tokyo 2020, we are pleased to welcome the National Federations of Cambodia and Sri Lanka to the IFSC family,” says IFSC Vice-President Sport/Events Kobinata Toru.
Building a legacy
The biannual IFSC World Championships take place in Innsbruck on September 6-16, and this year the Combined finals conclude the signature IFSC event. Preparations were discussed at the press conference Friday morning, in addition to the Olympics. Visit the IFSC website for the full recap and a highlight video.
“From European Championships to IFSC World Cups and the IFSC Youth World Championships last year, since 2009 a legacy has been evolving in Innsbruck and all throughout Austria that we are excited to build,” says Austria Climbing President Eugen Burtscher.
Climbing together
Interactive workshops were held for National Federations throughout Thursday and Friday, following a successful introduction of the concept last year. Topics covered included international event organisation, partner relations and strategic planning, and the full summary can be found on the IFSC website. Photos of the workshops and more may be downloaded at the IFSC Flickr account, and the next IFSC Plenary Assembly in 2019 will take place in Tokyo.
INFO: IFSC
