If the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics taught us anything, it was that Olympic momentum equates to unprecedented interest in climbing. Not only did climbing’s Olympic debut (in 2021) result in many people of all ages wanting to head to their local gym to give climbing a try, it also prompted many local media outlets to reach out to the closest climbing gym for a report on the sport’s surge in popularity.
It’s likely that the forthcoming Paris Olympics (July 26-Aug 11) will be preceded by the same widespread interest from media outlets in climbing. In many cases, reporters will reach out to climbing gyms in hopes of not only learning about the fundamentals of climbing (What is bouldering? What is speed climbing? etc.), but also about climbing’s statistical uptick in mainstream culture, the profusion of gyms around the country, and some insight on climbing’s Olympic format and the qualified Olympians, specifically.
We want to help you be well-suited to speak on those topics, if/when the media reaches out to your gym. We also want to help your gym get positive press and publicity in conjunction with climbing’s Olympic lead-up this summer. So, we’ve put together a “cheat sheet,” of sorts, that can hopefully act as a reference guide for questions that your gym might be asked by members of the press in the next month or so. (Click here to download the fact sheet, and more Paris Olympics-related resources for climbing industry insiders can be found here.)
We hope this media reference guide proves useful as a quick and handy tool when talking with reporters. It would be greatly appreciated if you could cite Climbing Business Journal as the source for some of the various statistics, as we worked hard to gather the data that is listed in this sheet. But mostly we’re just as psyched as you that the Paris Olympics will bring new positive publicity to climbing…and to your gym.
Sincerely,
The Editors at Climbing Business Journal
Climbing Business Journal is an independent news outlet dedicated to covering the indoor climbing industry. Here you will find the latest coverage of climbing industry news, gym developments, industry best practices, risk management, climbing competitions, youth coaching and routesetting. Have an article idea? CBJ loves to hear from readers like you!
