DEVELOPMENT

Project/Policy/Event title:

Climbing for All

Implementation date:

2006-2011

Project/Policy overview:

Climbing for All studies the positive impact of climbing on health. Studies are carried out on:

• Fitness profiles of children over a period of 5 years at The Rock Junior competition in Arco, Italy;
• Morphology of climbers; and
• Paraclimbing.

Climbing offers a spontaneous and fun movement to everybody and gives them the opportunity to exercise, to improve the relationship with the environment and to decrease the risk of pathology related to sedentary life-style. "Climbing for All" is managed by the Medical Commission of IFSC.

Impact Assessment Report:

Many studies are carried out. For example: we monitored the World Championships’ athletes from Ekaterinburg 2006 to Arco 2011. 15 women and 50 men from 12 countries (age 18-50) with different types of physical disabilities (medical, blood examination, ECG, fitness test) were studied.

The Results are: during six years all the athletes were in healthy conditions. Their fitness tests were between fit and optimum. The integration of climbers and paraclimbers was very good, also because the competition areas were the same. We achieved the maximum in Arco 2011, same areas and same time.

Conclusions:

The Federation manages climbing and paraclimbing. The number of paraclimbers is increasing also in Youth and School competitions. We achieved a good relationship between people with disability and their own environment. Many disable people increased their work opportunity.

Project/Policy/Event title:

The IFSC Paraclimbing Competition Development

Implementation date:

Ongoing

Partners:

Italian Paralympic Committee; IFSC Medical Commission; Scientific group from Ural Federal University in Ekaterinburg, Russia; University of Perugia,  Italy.

Project/Policy overview:

• To guarantee and supervise the organisation of successful Paraclimbing Events;
• To promote and contribute to the development of sport opportunities and competitions, from initiation to elite level, for Paraclimbers as the foundation of elite Paraclimbing sport;
• To develop opportunities for female athletes and athletes with a severe disability in climbing at all levels and in all structures;
• To support and encourage educational, cultural, research and scientific activities that contribute to the development and promotion of Paraclimbing;
• To seek the continuous global promotion and media coverage of Paraclimbing, its vision of inspiration and excitement through sport, its ideals and activities;
• To contribute to the creation of a drug-free sport environment for all Paraclimbers in conjunction with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); and
• To promote Paraclimbing sport without discrimination for political, religious, economic, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or race reasons.

Impact Assessment Report:

The first International Paraclimbing Competition took place in Russia, Ekaterinburg, within the European Championships 2006. Athletes with a visual impairment and with a physical disability from Belarus, Italy, Japan and Russia took part in the competitions.

In 2008, the first IFSC Paraclimbing Cup was organised in Moscow, Russia, within the IFSC Bouldering and Speed World Cup event. Athletes with a visual impairment and with a physical disability from Belarus, Italy, Ukraine and Russia took part in the competitions. The next IFSC Paraclimbing Cup was organised by FASI and Speed Rock Committee in 2009 on the wall of Bissina Dam in Val Daone (ITA). Athletes from Hungary, Italy and Russia participated in the competition. Asian Paraclimbing Championships 2009 took place in ChunCheon (KOR). Athletes from Hong Kong, Indonesia and Korea took part in the competition.

For the first time in 2010, IFSC Paraclimbing Cup series was organised. They took place in Ekaterinburg, (RUS), Val Daone (ITA) and Chiba (JPN). Thirty-eight climbers (26 men and 12 women) from Belarus, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and Spain took part at the competitions.

The very good level of Paraclimbing competition was achieved in Arco (ITA). The first IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships were organised within the program of the eleventh World Championships in July 2011. Climbers with and without a disability were fully involved in the event from the opening ceremony until the closing ceremony. Thirty-five athletes (30 men and 5 women) from eleven countries competed.

The Paraclimbing World Championships now takes place every two years, parallel to the World Championships.

The IFSC Plenary Assembly 2019 unanimously approved the IFSC Paraclimbing Development Plan.

Project/Policy/Event title:

Women Lead Sport Workshop

location:

2021

Implementation date:

Worldwide, virtual

Partners:

IFSC Executive Board, and National Federations

Project/Policy overview:

Through the ASOIF Gender Equality Programme, the IFSC was given the opportunity to submit two women from Member Federations offering a comprehensive package of leadership and communications tools to a wider group of women. This programme complements the leadership, diversity and NFs support goals of the IFSC, and a total of 21 women were accepted from 19 countries and took the programme with Coach Gabriela Mueller in November 2021.

Project/Policy/Event title:

Athletes' English Course

location:

Worldwide, virtual

Implementation date:

2021

Partners:

IFSC elite athletes

Project/Policy overview:

The IFSC offers English courses to elite athletes free of charge. The English course is done in partnership with the British Council. The programme has been piloted with some Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualified Athletes from China, and Russia.

Project/Policy/Event title:

Athletes' Representatives Database

location:

Worldwide, virtual

Implementation date:

2020-ongoing

Partners:

IFSC elite athletes, Athletes' Commission, National Athletes' Representatives

Project/Policy overview:

The IFSC has put in place a system for data collection directly from NFs through the registration and result system. Each NF uploads contacts of their National Athletes’ Representatives. This database will improve the relationships between the IFSC and National Athletes’ Representatives establishing a direct way of communication from athletes to athletes.

Project/Policy/Event title:

Routesetters' Diversity Programme

LOCATION:

Worldwide, IFSC events

Implementation date:

2020-ongoing

Project/Policy overview:

The Routesetters’ Diversity Programme is aimed at supporting and proactively developing diversity across the team of International Routesetters by offering opportunities within the IFSC community and IFSC Calendar of events to aspirant members of the IFSC routesetting group. Specific goals of the programme are to improve gender equality within the group, and to open opportunities for setters from countries not yet represented in the group to gain International competition experience. The selection of candidates for the Diversity Programme is made by the IFSC Routesetters’ Commission.

The IFSC offers to candidates the participation as additional setters on IFSC Calendar of events as internships for broader development of experience. During the competition routesetters part of Diversity Programme job-shadow the IFSC routesetting team and get an on-the-job learning opportunity. It allows them to show to the team their strengths and receive direct feedback on what to improve. At the end of the season, participants part of the Diversity Programme are reviewed and receive feedback. Strong candidates are encouraged to apply for a position as a IFSC Junior Routesetter.

IFSC covered costs of travel, accommodation, and 50% of the standard routesetting salary.

Project/Policy/Event title:

IFSC Olympic Solidarity Helpdesk

LOCATION:

Worldwide, virtual

Implementation date:

2021-ongoing

Project/Policy overview:

Olympic Solidarity aims at providing assistance to the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), particularly those with the greatest needs, so that they can develop their own structures to foster the expansion of sport in their country. The IFSC Olympic Solidarity Helpdesk has the goal to provide IFSC Members information about funding opportunities through Olympic Solidarity and create a system to support its Members in establishing prolific relationships with their NOCs and promote Sport Climbing within their country.

Project/Policy/Event title:

Gender Equality for 2018

Implementation date:

July 2018

Partners:

National Federations, athletes as well as the Commissions and Board of the IFSC and sponsor partners.

Project/Policy overview:

We started with gender equity in our sport with having equal prize money for men and women from the very beginning. Additionally, we have equal participation from men and women and equal exposure during our competitions. We also believe it is important to have gender equity in the administration of our sport.

A strategic plan was created to develop gender equity in the administration of sport climbing at both the National and International levels of the IFSC. We encourage gender equity on our technical commissions. Currently two women sit on the Executive Board of the IFSC.

Our plan is to look for and develop leadership and talent for both genders; focusing specifically on female athletes and female national leaders to move into leadership positions at the international level.

Additionally, the IFSC Officers and Continental Council Presidents are working to promote gender equity at the National Federation level encouraging involvement of women in official, administrative and political governance capacity. There has been a large shift in the number of women in attendance at the annual Plenary Assembly and in official training course.

54% of IFSC staff are female [as of 29 September 2020].

Project/Policy/Event title:

Partnership with Peace & Sport on using climbing as a tool to address social problems within communities

Location:

Worldwide Peace and Sport projects

Implementation date:

2011-ongoing

Partners:

Peace and Sport, a Monaco based organisation working for sustainable peace throughout the world. To achieve this it promotes the practice of structured sport and sporting values to educate young generations and help foster social stability, reconciliation and dialogue between communities.

Project/Policy overview:

Peace & Sport’s mission is creating simple tools to enhance sport activities therefore promoting sport’s values.

Climbing can be brought to people on short and simple structure, such as building walls, wood structure, 2-3 meters high rock boulder.

Safety is ensured by mats and low height climbing, the climbing partner is present to catch the falling climber and bring him smoothly to the ground. Simple climbing exercises are proposed, creating personal and group challenge.

Climbing brings benefits in term of values (you are responsible of someone else safety and at the same time acting as their advisor) and in physiological term (climbing request balance, use of both legs and arms, flexibilty, strength and strategy).

• 2019 IFSC Peace & Sport Report
• 2019 Peace & Sport International Forum

Project/Policy/Event title:

Solidarity Program

Implementation date:

2005-2019

Project/Policy overview:

• Support the participation of athletes and federations that normally would not be able to participate due to very limited resources,
• Maximize the countries represented in the World Championships, promoting the principle of universality.
• The IFSC promotes the Solidarity Program through travel contributions for athletes.

The IFSC Executive Board is responsible for allocation of the funds to the applicants.

The Event Organiser may provide free accommodation for a fixed number of athletes.

Continental Councils filter communication between the IFSC and NFs collecting applications and proposing a first selection of the most deserving athletes/NFs.

National Federations are the intermediary between IFSC/CCs and their athletes. Athletes are the main focus of the Solidarity Program.

• 2019 IFSC Solidarity Programme
• 2019 IFSC Solidarity Programme UPDATED