10 August 2016

The Technical, Physical and Mental Speed Olympic challenges are extreme

After talking to some of the best Speed climbers in the world, you understand that these guys are real professionals and dedicated athletes. Running up 15 meters sub 6 seconds cannot be reached in 2020 for the current best Lead and Boulder World Cup climbers. Most of top male Lead or Boulder World Cup competitors will probably reach 10 seconds after some weeks starting to get the sequence right. Without any specifically explosive or lower body training, the most talented will go sub 9 seconds once the sequence has been optimized to perfection. Sean McColl, who has continuously competed in Speed for some 15 years, including gaining gold in Youth World Championship, is normally doing mid eight seconds. The Canadian can also be said to have a similar physics to the best Speed climbers. In order to go below eight seconds, you probably need to do specific physical training for a year and also do many competitions, which would get you to understanding how to deal with the mental pressure. To get below 7 seconds in Tokyo 2020 you need to focus half of your training on Speed as well as gaining some weight in the whole body. Thus you will also have to deal with the mental pressure that your standard in Lead and Boulder will deteriorate and you will have to climb outdoors less. To get below 6.5 seconds will only be possible for the very talented ones who would mainly focus on Speed until Tokyo. This means that you will go at least 10 000 times full on, on the 15 meters 6a+ Speed wall. It should be added that Libor Hroza, currently #2 in the Speed World Cup, after reading the draft of the article, said: - It looks good. I totally agree with climbing less outdoor, for those who will go to Olympics there won't be too much time for rocks. Rocks will be just an award when season is done. You have to look at climbing in the Olympics as a competitive sport, without typical lifestyle climbing thinking. The sport is way too far from rock climbing and it will go even further because of the Olympics.
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