The IFSC Climbing and Paraclimbing World Championships take place biannually and showcase the most elite sport climbing athletes from across the globe. This year, the event will be the longest ever with the addition of the Combined finals on the last day. After 9 days of climbing, the six top-scoring men and women will face-off in a thrilling grand finale of Bouldering, Lead and Speed climbing.

Paraclimbing has been featured at the IFSC World Championships since 2011, and this year up to 12 categories will be represented. In the spotlight will be the Austrian Paraclimbing team, making their debut on the world stage in front of their home crowd in Innsbruck. The team is coached by star sport climbing athlete Katharina Saurwein and have been preparing for the event for nearly two years.

“Adequately conveying the great contribution of Paraclimbing to the IFSC World Championships atmosphere requires more than words. The efforts are rewarded by an unforgettable show that must be experienced,” says IFSC President Marco Scolaris. “We can’t wait to be in Innsbruck once again, for such a major event, after the fantastic Youth World Championships last year. Tyrol has been a natural destination for sport climbing for years, a place where, quoting former IOC President Jacques Rogge: “Everybody climbs!”

More information can be found in the IFSC press release and at the Innsbruck 2018 website.