Sean McColl to lead Canada into sport climbing World Cup season
World champion Sean McColl is set for the upcoming World Cup season in sport climbing, one of five new sports being added to Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020.
When sport climbing makes its Olympic debut, the program will feature three disciplines: bouldering, speed and lead climbing, with medals being awarded to men and women with the best combined result from all three.
Related: IOC adds 5 sports to Olympic Games
In the world of climbing being skilled across all three disciplines is not a common feat. However, fortunately for Canadian fans, McColl is an extremely versatile climbing athlete. At the last International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) world championships in 2016, McColl brought home the title in the men’s combined event.
Friday marks the start of the first IFSC World Cup climbing season since the sport was officially added to the Olympic program in August. With that in mind many climbers will have their sights set on Tokyo 2020, including McColl who will have the support of the HBC athlete bursary program to help him reach his Olympic dreams. Based on his outstanding climbing success and Olympic potential, McColl was added to Hudson’s Bay’s 50 bursary recipients, early this year.
McColl may be a new name to the Olympic world, but he’s no stranger to the international stage. In addition to being a world champion, he also competed on the popular television show, American Ninja Warrior.
McColl and fellow Canadian Zach Richardson will represent Canada at the first World Cup stop in men’s bouldering, beginning on Friday in Meiringen, Switzerland.
