World Climbing
Governing body for competition climbing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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| Abbreviation | WC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 27 January 2007 |
| Founded at | Frankfurt, Germany |
| Type | Sports federation |
| Headquarters | Turin, Italy |
| Membership | 98 member federations |
President | Marco Maria Scolaris |
| Website | worldclimbing.com |
The federation officially launched the name World Climbing on December 10, 2025, following approval by its National Federations and subsequent amendment of its statutes in October 2023.[1]
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".[2] 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.[2] World Climbing is recognised by the International Olympic Committee.[2][3]
History
The IFSC was founded in Frankfurt on 27 January 2007 by 57 member federations as a continuation of the International Council for Competition Climbing, which had been in existence from 1997 to 2007 under the governance of the Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA).[4][5] Later that year, the IFSC was granted provisional recognition by the IOC, and consisted of 80 member federations.[5] On 10 February 2010, the IOC granted the IFSC formal recognition, and on the 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.[5]
Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the IFSC suspended the Russian and Belarusian federations and canceled all events in Russia in 2022.[6]
Competitions
The major competitions organized by the IFSC are:
World Cup
The IFSC Climbing World Cup 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.[7] The first World Cup was held under the auspices of UIAA in 1989,[4] World Cups were held under the auspices of IFSC from 2007.
World Championship
The IFSC Climbing World Championship is a competition held biennially. This event determines the male and female world champions in the three disciplines of sport climbing lead, bouldering and speed as well as in para-climbing.[8]
World Youth Championship
The IFSC World 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.[9]
European Championship
The IFSC European Championship is a competition held biennially in years when World Championships are not held. This event determines the male and female European champions in the three disciplines of sport climbing lead, bouldering, and speed.
European Youth Cup
The IFSC European Youth Cup 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:[10][11]
Full members
| Country | Federation | Acronym |
|---|---|---|
 Argentina | Federación Argentina de Ski y Andinismo | FASA |
 Australia | Sport Climbing Australia | SCA |
 Austria | Kletterverband Österreich | KVÖ |
 Azerbaijan | Air and Extreme Sports Federation of Azerbaijan | FAIREX |
 Belgium | Climbing and Mountaineering Belgium | CMBEL |
 Bolivia | Federación Boliviana de Ski y Andinismo | FEBSA |
 Brazil | Associação Brasileira de Escalada Esportiva | ABEE |
 Bulgaria | Bulgarian Climbing and Mountaineering Federation | BCMF |
 Cameroon | Association des Sport de Montagne et d'Escalade | ASME |
 Canada | Climbing Escalade Canada | CEC |
 Chile | Federación de Andinismo de Chile | FEACH |
 China | Chinese Mountaineering Association | CMA |
 Chinese Taipei | Chinese Taipei Alpine Association | CTAA |
 Colombia | Federación Colombiana de Escalada Deportiva | FCED |
 Costa Rica | Federación costarricense de Deportes de Montaña | FECODEM |
 Croatia | Hrvatski Planinarski Savez (Croatian Mountaineering Association) | HPS |
 Cyprus | Cyprus Mountaineering and Climbing Federation | CMCF |
 Czech Republic | Cesky horolezecky svaz (Czech mountaineering association) | CHS |
 Denmark | Dansk Klatreforbund/Danish Climbing Federation | DKF/DCF |
 Ecuador | Federación Ecuatoriana de Andinismo y Escalada | FEDAN |
 El Salvador | Federación Salvadoreña de montañismo y escalada | FSME |
 Finland | Finnish Climbing association | FCA |
 France | Fédération française de la montagne et de l'escalade | FFME |
 Georgia | Georgian Climbing National Federation | GCNF |
 Germany | Deutscher Alpenverein | DAV |
 Great Britain | British Mountaineering Council | BMC |
 Greece | Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing | HFMCU (EOOA) |
 Guatemala | Federación Nacional de Andinismo de Guatemala | FNAG |
 Honduras | Federación Hondurena de Deportes de Montana y Escalada | FEHDME |
 Hong Kong | Hong Kong Mountaineering Union | HKMU |
 Hungary | Hungarian Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation | MHSSz |
 India | Indian Mountaineering Foundation | IMF |
 Indonesia | Federasi Panjat Tebing Indonesia | FPTI |
 Iran | Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation | IRI MF |
 Ireland | Mountaineering Ireland | MI |
 Israel | Israel Climbers' Club | ILCC |
 Italy | Federazione Arrampicata Sportiva Italiana | FASI |
 Japan | Japan Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Association | JMSCA |
 Kazakhstan | Mountaineering and Climbing Federation of Republic of Kazakhstan | MCFRK |
 Latvia | Latvian Alpinist Association | LAA |
 Lithuania | Lithuania Federation of Sport Climbing | LFSC |
 Luxembourg | Fédération Luxembourgeoise d'Escalade, de Randonnée et d'Alpinisme | FLERA |
 Malaysia | Persekutuan Mendaki Malaysia (Malaysia Mountaineering Federation) | PMM |
 Malta | Malta Sport for All | MSFA |
 Mauritius | Mauritius Sport Climbing Federation | MSCF |
 Mexico | Federación Mexicana de Deportes de Montana Y Escalada | FMDMYE |
 Mongolia | Mongolian National Climbing Federation | MNCF |
 Nepal | Nepal Mountaineering Association | NMA |
 Netherlands | Koninklijke Nederlandse Klim- en Bergsportvereniging | NKBV |
 New Zealand | Climbing New Zealand | CNZ |
 North Macedonia | Macedonian Sport Climbing Federation | MSCF |
 Norway | The Norwegian Climbing Federation | NCF |
 Pakistan | Alpine Club of Pakistan | ACP |
 Panama | Asociación Panameña de Escalada | APAES |
 Peru | Federación Deportiva Peruana de Escalada | FEDPE |
 Philippines | Pilipinas Climbing | PCI |
 Poland | Polski Zwiazek Alpinizmu (Polish Mountaineering Association) | PZA |
 Portugal | Federação Portuguesa de Montanhismo e Escalada / Portuguese Mountaineering and Climbing Federation | FPME |
 Romania | Federația Română de Alpinism și Escaladă | FRAE |
 Russia | Climbing Federation of Russia (suspended)[6] | CFR |
 Saudi Arabia | The Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation | SCHF |
 Serbia | United Sport Climbing Federation of Serbia | USCFS |
 Singapore | Singapore Mountaineering Federation | SMF |
 Slovakia | Slovak Mountaineering Union JAMES | SMU JAMES |
 Slovenia | Alpine Association of Slovenia | PZS |
 South Korea | Korean Alpine Federation | KAF |
 Spain | Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada | FEDME |
 South Africa | South African National Climbing Federation | SANCF |
 Sweden | Swedish Climbing Federation | SKF |
 Switzerland | Swiss Alpine Club | CAS |
 Thailand | The Sport Climbing Association of Thailand | SCAT |
 Turkey | Turkish Mountaineering Federation | TDF/TMF |
 Ukraine | Ukrainian Mountaineering and Climbing Federation | UMF |
 USA | USA Climbing | USAC |
 Venezuela | Federación Venezolana de Escalada Deportiva | FEVME |
Continental members
| Country | Federation | Acronym |
|---|---|---|
 Algeria | Fédération Algérienne de Ski et sports de Montagne | FASSM |
 Andorra | Federacio Andorrana de Muntanyisme | FAM |
 Armenia | Armenia Alpine Club | AAC |
 Belarus | Belarus Alpine Federation (suspended)[6] | BAF |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Mountaineering Union of Bosnia - Herzegovina | PSBIH |
 Cambodia | Cambodia Climbing Federation | CCD |
 Estonia | Estonian Climbing Association | ECA |
 Fiji | Sport Climbing Fiji | SCF |
 Jordan | Jordan Federation of Sport Climbing | JFSC |
 Kyrgyzstan | Federation of Mountaineering Rock and Ice Climbing of Kirgiz Republic | FMRICK |
 Macau | Mountaineering Federation Macau China | MFMC |
 Rwanda | Rwanda Sports Climbing Federation | RSCF |
 Sri Lanka | National Association for Climbing and Mountaineering in Sri Lanka | NACMSL |
 Uganda | Uganda Sport Climbing Federation | USCF |
 Uzbekistan | Federation of Mountaineering and Rock Climbing of Uzbekistan | FMCU |
Regional
| Country | Federation | Acronym |
|---|---|---|
 New Caledonia | Comité Régional de la Montagne et de l'Escalade de la Nouvelle Calédonie |
Observers
| Country | Federation | Acronym |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Austrian Alpine Club | ÖAV |
| Spain | Basque Mountaineering Federation (Eusko Mendizale Federazioa) | EMF |
| Spain | Federació d'Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya | FEEC |
