The new IFSC World Cup Series will start in April 2025 with the World Cup in Keqiao. A new quota system is already causing a lot of discussion in this context. While this promotes diversity in the international competition circuit, it also forces successful nations like Japan to rethink their team sizes.
Is it possible that the eleventh best lead climber in the world cannot compete in a World Cup due to a technical regulation? This scenario could occur if the new quota rules are used for the first time at the IFSC World Cups in 2025.
At the end of 2023, the IFSC had new quota system for the 2025 competition season. According to this, each national federation is entitled to two fixed starting places per gender and discipline at the World Cups. Depending on the number of athletes in the top 40 of the world rankings, a maximum of four additional quota places can be added. From next season, the automatic starting right of all top 10 ranked athletes will no longer be valid.
This means that each national team can get a maximum of six starting places per gender and discipline. For the vast majority of associations, this quota system results in an improvement at best. The situation is different for the climbing nation of Japan with its extremely strong and extensive squad.
Due to the new quota regulations, our team has to be significantly smaller.
Benjamin Hartmann, coach of the Japanese national climbing team
The next season will be a tough change for many!
There, for example, the men's team currently has 6 out of 10 athletes in the top ten in the lead world rankings. There are a total of twelve Japanese climbers in the top 40, which are relevant for the quota system.
"Imagine you're seventh," writes Benjamin Hartmann in a post on Instagram. "You're one of the best in the world and you probably won't be able to show the performance you've worked so hard for in the highest league of climbing." The coach of the Japanese national team advocates letting performance decide in a performance-oriented sport.
He understands that you want to have as many nationalities as possible at the Olympic Games and World Championships, but at the same time there has to be an upper limit so that the organizers can still manage a competition. "In my opinion, however, World Cups should be the highest performance league in climbing."
Join the discussion!
What do you think of this new regulation for the 2025 competition year? How do you think quota regulations affect the quality of competitions? What could be solutions to promote diversity in climbing without restricting the development of competitive sport too much? Write us your thoughts, opinions and ideas in the comments section below.
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Credits: Cover picture Lena Drapella
... the Norwegians also have to limit their cross-country skiing team. There is simply no other way if a sport is to be marketable internationally. If one nation dominates too strongly, people stop being interested in competitive sport...
Greetings, Christian
...I have often wondered how strong Japanese athletes are, but I watch the competitions because of the athleticism and want to see the best there. If climbers of equal strength cannot compete against each other due to an upper limit, it may be that the same person always wins because the climbers of equal strength are from the same nation and cannot take part. But I actually have no idea about the competition, I don't really care about nationality, I'm primarily interested in the sport