USA Climbing announced this week the location of two upcoming National Championship events. Momentum Millcreek in Salt Lake City, Utah, will host the 2021 Paraclimbing National Championships on June 19-20. The following month, the 2021 Youth National Championships will take place in Reno, Nevada, on July 13-18. Climbing at Youth Nationals will be spread out across two facilities: Mesa Rim Reno (lead, speed) and the Reno-Sparks Convention Center (bouldering). The inaugural Youth Climbing Festival (for C and D level climbers) will also be held at the same Reno facilities on July 9-11.
With American Olympians climbing at the Tokyo Olympics later in the summer, both national events will be in the spotlight ahead of climbing’s Olympic debut. The Paraclimbing competition, in particular, will determine which athletes will compete on the US National Team at upcoming IFSC events. The top three ranked athletes per gender in each category (bouldering, lead, speed) will be selected for the Team. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be little to no spectators, and extra health measures will be in place.
“We’re excited to see our climbing community come back together after a long year apart, and while we’re not looking at a ‘normal’ competition yet, I’m grateful for the work that the team at USA Climbing has done to ensure that competition can continue safely,” said Mo Beck, USAC Paraclimbing Committee Chair. “To the amazing crew at Momentum, we’ll see you soon!”
“It’s an honor to work with USA Climbing to host the upcoming Paraclimbing National Championships,” said Jeff Pedersen, CEO of Momentum Climbing. “This will be Momentum’s first time hosting a paraclimbing event, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome all the athletes to Salt Lake City.”
As for the youth events, according to USA Climbing’s press release, “the Championships will be a showcase of talent and could start to identify some of the young stars who will one day vie to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.” The prior weekend will also showcase the first Youth Climbing Festival for younger climbers, following the restructuring approved last year. In addition to “fun, skills-based competitions,” the Festival will include “convention-style presentations and workshops.”
“We are thrilled to bring all of our Youth National Championships together in Reno as part of our realigned 2021 National Calendar,” said John Muse, VP of Sport for USA Climbing. “And we are especially looking forward to the inaugural Youth Climbing Festival and the developmental opportunities it will present for C and D level members.”
“We are delighted to be partnering with USA Climbing as the host facility for the 2021 Youth National Championships! This is such a crucial year for the sport, and for our industry, and we’re honored to help push both forward. Mesa Rim has always held a special place for youth climbing competitions and we are optimistic for a bright future ahead!” said Ian McIntosh, CEO of Mesa Rim.
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