World Climbing

World Climbing (formerly known as the International Federation of Sport Climbing or IFSC) is the international governing body for the sport of competition climbing, which consists of the disciplines lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing.

The federation officially launched the name World Climbing on 10 December 2025, following approval by its National Federations and subsequent amendment of its statutes in October 2023.

Charter

World Climbing describes itself as "the international federation responsible for all aspects of international competition climbing and is the final authority for all matters concerning international competition climbing". It describes itself as responsible for all technical aspects of the sport of competition climbing, for the approval of all member federations and their respective competitions, and of approving the calendar and schedule of events held during the year. World Climbing is recognised by the International Olympic Committee.

History

The IFSC was founded in Frankfurt on 27 January 2007 by 57 member federations as a continuation of the , which had been in existence from 1997 to 2007 under the governance of the Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA). Later that year, the IFSC was granted provisional recognition by the IOC, and consisted of 80 member federations. On 10 February 2010, the IOC granted the IFSC formal recognition, and on 4 July 2011, the IOC added climbing to a shortlist of potential new sports for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which was confirmed in 2016.

Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the IFSC suspended the Russian and Belarusian federations and canceled all events in Russia in 2022.

Competitions The major competitions organized by World Climbing are:

World Climbing Series

The World Climbing Series is a series of competitions held annually. The athletes compete in three disciplines: lead, bouldering, and speed. The number of competitions and venues vary from year to year. Before 2026, World Climbing Series were known as World Cups, the first of which was held under the auspices of UIAA in 1989, featuring speed and lead disciplines. Bouldering was not added as a discipline until 1999. World Cups were held under the auspices of IFSC from 2007 until 2026, when the name was changed to World Climbing.

World Climbing Championship

The World Climbing Championship is a competition held biennially. This event determines the male and female world champions in the disciplines of sport climbing lead, bouldering and speed as well as in para-climbing. The World Climbing Championship was founded as the World Championship in 1991 and the first edition was held in Frankfurt, Germany.

World Climbing Youth Championship

The World Climbing Youth Championship is a competition held annually. This event determines the male and female world youth champions in three disciplines: lead, speed, and bouldering. For each discipline, the athletes are grouped in three age groups: Youth B, Youth A and Juniors. The World Climbing Youth Championship was founded as the Youth World Championship in 1992, and the first edition was hosted in Basel, Switzerland.

World Climbing Europe Championship

The World Climbing Europe Championship is a competition held biennially in years when World Climbing Championships are not held. This event determines the male and female European champions in the three disciplines of sport climbing lead, bouldering, and speed.

World Climbing Europe Youth Series

The World Climbing Europe Youth Series is a series of competitions held annually. Athletes compete in three disciplines: lead, speed, and bouldering and are grouped into three age groups: Youth B, Youth A, and Juniors.

Presidents

2007- : Marco Maria Scolaris

Members In the following tables are listed the members of the national federations:

Full members Country Federation Acronym Federación Argentina de Ski y Andinismo FASA Sport Climbing Australia SCA Kletterverband Österreich KVÖ Air and Extreme Sports Federation of Azerbaijan FAIREX Climbing and Mountaineering Belgium CMBEL Federación Boliviana de Ski y Andinismo FEBSA Associação Brasileira de Escalada Esportiva ABEE Bulgarian Climbing and Mountaineering Federation BCMF Association des Sport de Montagne et d'Escalade ASME Climbing Escalade Canada CEC Federación de Andinismo de Chile FEACH Chinese Mountaineering Association CMA Chinese Taipei Alpine Association CTAA Federación Colombiana de Escalada Deportiva FCED Federación costarricense de Deportes de Montaña FECODEM Hrvatski Planinarski Savez (Croatian Mountaineering Association) HPS Cyprus Mountaineering and Climbing Federation CMCF Cesky horolezecky svaz (Czech mountaineering association) CHS Dansk Klatreforbund/Danish Climbing Federation DKF/DCF Federación Ecuatoriana de Andinismo y Escalada FEDAN Federación Salvadoreña de montañismo y escalada FSME Finnish Climbing association FCA Fédération française de la montagne et de l'escalade FFME Georgian Climbing National Federation GCNF Deutscher Alpenverein DAV British Mountaineering Council BMC Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing HFMCU (EOOA) Federación Nacional de Andinismo de Guatemala FNAG Federación Hondurena de Deportes de Montana y Escalada FEHDME Hong Kong Mountaineering Union HKMU Hungarian Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation MHSSz Indian Mountaineering Foundation IMF Federasi Panjat Tebing Indonesia FPTI Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation IRI MF Mountaineering Ireland MI Israel Climbers' Club ILCC Federazione Arrampicata Sportiva Italiana FASI Japan Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Association JMSCA Mountaineering and Climbing Federation of Republic of Kazakhstan MCFRK Latvian Alpinist Association LAA Lithuania Federation of Sport Climbing LFSC Fédération Luxembourgeoise d'Escalade, de Randonnée et d'Alpinisme FLERA Persekutuan Mendaki Malaysia (Malaysia Mountaineering Federation) PMM Malta Sport for All MSFA Mauritius Sport Climbing Federation MSCF Federación Mexicana de Deportes de Montana Y Escalada FMDMYE Mongolian National Climbing Federation MNCF Nepal Mountaineering Association NMA Koninklijke Nederlandse Klim- en Bergsportvereniging NKBV Climbing New Zealand CNZ Macedonian Sport Climbing Federation MSCF The Norwegian Climbing Federation NCF Alpine Club of Pakistan ACP Asociación Panameña de Escalada APAES Federación Deportiva Peruana de Escalada FEDPE Pilipinas Climbing PCI Polski Zwiazek Alpinizmu (Polish Mountaineering Association) PZA Federação Portuguesa de Montanhismo e Escalada / Portuguese Mountaineering and Climbing Federation FPME Federația Română de Alpinism și Escaladă FRAE Climbing Federation of Russia (suspended) CFR The Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation SCHF United Sport Climbing Federation of Serbia USCFS Singapore Mountaineering Federation SMF Slovak Mountaineering Union JAMES SMU JAMES Alpine Association of Slovenia PZS Korean Alpine Federation KAF Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada FEDME South African National Climbing Federation SANCF Swedish Climbing Federation SKF Swiss Alpine Club CAS The Sport Climbing Association of Thailand SCAT Turkish Mountaineering Federation TDF/TMF Ukrainian Mountaineering and Climbing Federation UMF USA Climbing USAC Federación Venezolana de Escalada Deportiva FEVME

Continental members Country Federation Acronym Fédération Algérienne de Ski et sports de Montagne FASSM Federacio Andorrana de Muntanyisme FAM Armenia Alpine Club AAC Belarus Alpine Federation (suspended) BAF Mountaineering Union of Bosnia - Herzegovina PSBIH Cambodia Climbing Federation CCD Estonian Climbing Association ECA Sport Climbing Fiji SCF Jordan Federation of Sport Climbing JFSC Federation of Mountaineering Rock and Ice Climbing of Kirgiz Republic FMRICK Mountaineering Federation Macau China MFMC Rwanda Sports Climbing Federation RSCF National Association for Climbing and Mountaineering in Sri Lanka NACMSL Uganda Sport Climbing Federation USCF Federation of Mountaineering and Rock Climbing of Uzbekistan FMCU

Regional Country Federation Acronym Comité Régional de la Montagne et de l'Escalade de la Nouvelle Calédonie

Observers Country Federation Acronym Austrian Alpine Club ÖAV Basque Mountaineering Federation (Eusko Mendizale Federazioa) EMF Federació d'Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya FEEC

World Climbing

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