USA Climbing recently announced that an IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup competition will take place at Sender One LAX in Los Angeles, on October 9-10, 2021. Additional cities included in this year’s Paraclimbing World Cup circuit are Innsbruck in Austria and Briançon in France. The Paraclimbing World Championships are scheduled to take place in Moscow, Russia.
According to a press release, the announcement about the forthcoming Los Angeles event “marks a major achievement for both the IFSC and the whole Paraclimbing community.” Another expressed goal is to see Paraclimbing included in the Paralympic Games that are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles in 2028.
“After years of competing overseas, I could not be more elated for the US to stage an IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup,” said Maureen Beck, Chair of USA Climbing’s Paraclimbing Committee. “It’s an honor to be able to host our climbing family from overseas and show them the momentum that USA Climbing has built for the Paraclimbing community.”
Sender One LAX in Los Angeles was also the host of the IFSC’s Pan-American Championships approximately one year ago, which resulted in two Olympic berths. More recently, CBJ reported on Sender One’s COOL Camp program during the pandemic shutdown.
“Even though this has been one of the most trying years I can remember, when [USA Climbing’s CEO Marc Norman] asked me if Sender One would host a Paraclimbing World Cup, we didn’t hesitate to say ‘yes,’” said Alice Kao, Sender One’s CEO. “We all remember what we felt during the Pan-American Championships. I think we could all use some inspiration and joy.”
Stay tuned to CBJ for more USA Climbing news this season.
John Burgman is the author of High Drama, a book that chronicles the history of American competition climbing. He is a Fulbright journalism grant recipient and a former magazine editor. He holds a master’s degree from New York University and bachelor’s degree from Miami University. In addition to writing, he coaches a youth bouldering team. Follow him on Twitter @John_Burgman and Instagram @jbclimbs. Read our interview Meet John Burgman, U.S. Comp Climbing’s Top Journalist.
