Building on a Golden Moment for British Climbing at the Paris 2024 Olympics
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have been a historic occasion for British climbing, marking a significant milestone in the sport's journey.
Last week, climbing made its second appearance on the Olympic stage, and Great Britain's Toby Roberts made history by winning Britain’s first ever gold medal in Boulder & Lead. This achievement, along with outstanding performances from Team GB’s Hamish McArthur (5th), Erin McNeice (5th) and Molly Thompson-Smith (19th), underscores the rapid growth and potential of climbing in the Great Britain.
Toby Roberts’ gold in Paris is not just a personal triumph; it is a reflection of the burgeoning indoor climbing community in the UK. With over 400 climbing walls and more than 250 clubs across the country, climbing has firmly established itself as a dynamic and accessible sport for people of all ages and abilities. Supported by a dedicated community of 400,000 regular climbers, the sport is gaining traction both as a competitive discipline and a popular fitness activity.
BMC President Dominic Oughton captured the collective pride of the climbing community: "Firstly, massive congratulations to all of our athletes who represented Great Britain with such credit in Paris this week," he stated. "Clearly, Toby's gold was the icing on the cake, but each one of them gave their absolute utmost and can be tremendously proud of their achievements. Erin, Hamish, Molly, and Toby – our members are so proud of you."
Dominic continued, "a huge vote of thanks to you, your friends, families, coaches and everyone in GB Climbing who has been involved with coaching and supporting our athletes on the road to Paris, and throughout the Games. The confidence with which they competed and the outstanding performances they delivered speak volumes for the environment that you created."
“I'm sure the legacy of interest in our sport, and opportunities for participation across the whole of society, will have a profound and lasting impact.”
Support for the climbers and team has been echoed across the climbing community and has generated huge profile for the sport.
The visibility climbing has achieved at the Paris games is inspiring even more people to get involved in the sport. Whether climbing solo or in groups, and across generations, the sport offers significant mental and physical health benefits.
If you want to get involved in climbing, whether as a beginner or an experienced climber looking to join a club, visit www.thebmc.co.uk/indoor-climbing
If you would like to support the work of the BMC in getting more people climbing and active we’d also love to hear from you, email office@thebmc.co.uk
The following GB Climbing athletes qualified for Paris 2024 Olympics and formed part of Team GB:
- Toby Roberts
- Hamish McArthur
- Molly Thompson-Smith
- Erin McNeice
The support team for the British climbers in Paris included:
- Team Leader: Jon Garside
- GB Team Coaches: Liam Briddon, Rachel Carr, Tristian Roberts, Mark Glennie
- Support Coach: Eleanor Glennie
- Team Support: Lucinda Whittaker
Related Content
Indoor Climbing News
The BMC, Mountaineering Ireland and Mountaineering Scotland are pleased to present the Youth Climbing Series Grand Final 2024. Please note, this is an invitational event only.
Indoor Climbing News
Today, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can announce that the Youth Climbing Series (YCS) 2024 Grand Final will take place in Leeds at the Big Depot and Depot Leeds Armley, on 23-24 November 2024.
Indoor Climbing News
Zoe Peetermans and Sam Butterworth claimed the 2024 British Boulder Champions titles on Sunday 25th August at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.
Indoor Climbing News
The British Mountaineering Council is proud to present the 2024 edition of the British Boulder Championships being held at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.
Performance News
Bursting onto the scene in 2024, 20-year-old Erin McNeice has cemented herself as one of the world’s best climbers. Qualifying for the finals in seventh, McNeice proved she was a force to be reckoned with.
Olympics News
In a thrilling conclusion to the Men's Sport Climbing finals at Paris 2024, Great Britain's Toby Roberts secured a sensational gold medal while Hamish McArthur takes an emotional fifth.
Performance News
Erin McNeice qualifies for Olympic final whilst Thompson-Smith finishes with a top-ten Lead performance.
Performance News
Following today’s Lead Semifinal, Great Britain are the only nation to qualify two athletes for Men’s Boulder & Lead Final.
Performance News
Erin McNeice and Molly Thompson-Smith put their first points on the scoreboard at Paris 2024, as the Women's Boulder Semifinal took place at Le Bourget yesterday, part of the Boulder & Lead event.
Performance News
The Men's Boulder Semifinal at Paris 2024 got underway today on the walls of Le Bourget, with four fresh boulders ready to be tackled. Today marked a moment for the history books as Great Britain’s Hamish McArthur and Toby Roberts made their Olympic debuts. They are the first men to represent Great Britain in Sport Climbing at the Olympic Games.
Performance News
Get ready for wall-to-wall action as the sport climbing competition at Paris 2024 kicks-off today with four Olympic debutants taking to the wall for Great Britain.
Indoor Climbing Articles
In a matter of days, 40 climbers from all around the globe will battle it out across three climbing disciplines of speed, lead and bouldering on the world's most watched wall of the year. Four British climbers will be among them representing Great Britain in Sport Climbing at Paris 2024 Olympic games. But how and where can you watch all the action? We have all the answers.
Olympics
With four GB Climbing athletes heading across the channel for the Olympic boulder and lead competitions starting Monday 5 August, not only are they bringing their A-game in terms of performance but, as part of the BMC, the whole team is supporting Paris 2024 in its bid to be the ‘greenest ever Games’.
Olympics News
The 2024 Olympic Games are underway, and the nation's eyes are firmly on Paris and all the Team GB athletes. As Sport Climbing makes its second-ever appearance at the Olympic Games, we get to witness a new chapter in history as four climbers step out onto the mats to represent Great Britain.
Olympics Articles
A brief history of competition climbing
Rock Climbing Articles
The Youth Ready to Rock Sport climbing course is designed to help young climbers (11-17 year olds) make their first moves onto rock by having a fun day out, as well as covering the use of some key skills and equipment, for both the participant and the parent/carer.
Rock Climbing Articles
The Youth Ready to Rock Trad climbing course is designed to help young climbers (11-17 year olds) make their first moves onto rock by having a fun day out, as well as covering the use of some key skills and equipment, for both the participant and the parent/carer. Trad climbing is the most popular style of climbing on British crags.
Indoor Climbing News
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce that the 2024 British Boulder Championships will be hosted at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.
Olympics News
Four sport climbers will make their Olympic Games debuts this summer for Team GB as the British Olympic Association (BOA) name the team that will compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Performance News
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) celebrates the historic inclusion of Paraclimbing in the LA28 Paralympic Sport Program. This landmark decision represents a significant milestone for the sport, reflecting its growing popularity globally.
Olympics News
The culmination of the Olympic Qualifying Series in Budapest saw GB Climbing athletes Erin McNeice, Hamish McArthur, and Molly Thompson-Smith qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics Games.
Performance News
Round Two of the Olympic Qualifying Series (OQS) kicked off in Budapest, marking the athletes' final opportunity to secure a spot for Paris 2024. As the heat was turned up on and off the wall the top 20 men’s and women’s Boulder & Lead semi-finalists have been confirmed.
Performance News
The Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) is reaching its finale at the Ludovika Campus in Budapest this week. A total of 48 top climbers from around the globe will vie for their last chance to secure a spot in the Boulder & Lead event for Paris 2024.
Olympics Articles
GB Climbing's Toby Roberts talks training, mindset, hopes and fears for his first Olympic Games this summer.
Indoor Climbing News
Works on the upgrade of the bouldering facilities at Edinburgh Leisure’s flagship climbing arena at Ratho will begin on Monday 3rd June following a major funding investment from sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund. There will be a steady schedule of works across the summer and autumn as the changes occur.
Olympics News
Erin McNeice and Hamish McArthur put on a world-class show in the finals of Boulder & Lead competition at the Olympic Qualifier Series Shanghai, on Sunday (18 May).
Performance
The third day of the Olympic Qualifying Series (OQS) featured the men’s and women’s Boulder & Lead semi-finals, selecting the top-eight athletes to compete in the final.
Performance
Part one of the Olympic Qualifying Series in Shanghai, China, began today with the Boulder qualifying round. 46 men and 48 women are contesting the combined Boulder and Lead event at the city’s Urban Park over a four-day event on the Huangpu riverside, all in a bid to secure coveted spots at Paris 2024.
Performance News
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce the lineup that will compete in Shanghai, China to represent the GB Climbing team at the first event of the Olympic Qualifying Series from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 May 2024.
Performance News
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is proud to reaffirm our commitment to clean sport by backing UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD’s) Clean Sport Week campaign from 13 - 17 May.
Olympics News
GB Climbing’s Toby Roberts rounded off a formidable season with a victory at the 2023 European Boulder and Lead Olympic Qualifier event.
Indoor Climbing News
A weekend of action was kick-started with a new British Speed Climbing Record and culminated in a fantastic day seeing many athletes vie for the title of British Champion. Here are the results of the British Lead, Speed and Paraclimbing Championships 2023:
Performance
Read the BMC statement following the Competition Climbing Performance Group (CCPG) report.
Performance News
Elections for the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Athletes’ Commission took place at the 2021 IFSC Climbing World Championships in Moscow, Russia, with Olympian Shauna Coxsey MBE, of Great Britain, elected as President.
Olympics Articles
GB Climbing works alongside promising young climbers to help create the stars of tomorrow. But how to do this? Niall Grimes talks to Tim Cunnington, the Coach Development Manager at GB Climbing to find out more about the thinking behind the process.
Performance
It’s been an exhilarating three days watching Sport Climbing’s debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the fourth and final day was not one to disappoint either. Here's our report of the Women's Sport Climbing Final.
Performance News
Summary of Day 3 of the Sport Climbing Men's Finals at Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Performance News
Shauna Coxsey becomes the first climbing Olympian of Great Britain. Highlights of the second day of Sport Climbing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the women's qualification round.
News
Highlights of first day of Sport Climbing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the men's qualification round.
Olympics Articles
Did you know that alpinism used to be an Olympic sport? With sport climbing on the verge of making its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, we bring you six fascinating facts about the history of climbing, competing and the Olympics.
Performance News
The International Olympic Committee officially confirmed that Sport Climbing has been included on the sports programme of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Performance News
Shauna Coxsey became the first sport climber selected to represent Team GB at the Olympic Games.
Performance News
GB Climbing’s Shauna Coxsey has qualified for a Tokyo 2020 quota place at the Combined Event.