IFSC POSTPONES THREE WORLD CUP COMPETITIONS SCHEDULED IN JULY

The International Federation of Sport Climbing, along with the Fédération Française de la Montagne et de l’Escalade, the Swiss Alpine Club and the local Event Organisers, decided to officially postpone the IFSC World Cup competitions scheduled in July.

The three events were expected to take place as follows:

• The IFSC World Cup in Villars (SUI) from July 2 to 4
• The IFSC World Cup in Chamonix (FRA) from July 11 to 13
• The IFSC World Cup in Briançon (FRA) from July 18 to 19

The deadline for a decision on the three Lead competitions of the 2020 IFSC Season was set on May 1, but due to the current conditions caused by the pandemic of COVID-19 it became already clear that those three competitions could not be held. Indeed, on April 13, French President Emmanuel Macron extended the national ban on large public gatherings until mid-July.

The decision, ratified during today’s IFSC Executive Board teleconference meeting,  comes after the Boulder season – with competitions scheduled in Meiringen (SUI), Wujiang (CHN), Chongqing (CHN), Seoul (KOR), Munich (GER) and Innsbruck (AUT) – was also postponed to a later date.

According to the plan released on April 6, a decision about the IFSC Youth World Championships in Voronezh (RUS) – the only IFSC competition provisionally scheduled in August – is due to be taken within June 1.

IFSC President Marco Scolaris said:

“In my mind I have the pictures of the crowds in Switzerland and France, and my heart is bleeding. This year they will not be able to cheer for their heroes in July. This proves how much we have to commit ourselves to protect each other in order to recover as quickly as possible and go climbing again. For the moment, we move step by step we and keep the faith: better days will come.”