Chris Sharma, Olympic gold medalist? It could happen as soon as 2020.

Okay, granted, it’s a decade off, but the sport of climbing took its first big step toward becoming an Olympic event recently when the International Olympic Committee membership officially recognized the International Federation of Sport Climbing as the governing body for the sport.

“We’ve been working toward this for five years. It’s huge,” said Keith Ferguson, executive director of USA Climbing, a member of the IFSC. “It’s a huge deal. No sport can be in the Olympic program without first being recognized. It’s a real opportunity.”

The roster of events for each games is picked at least seven years prior, so the slate for 2016 is locked in place. That leaves 2020 as the next possible slot and three years for the sport to push itself forward. Competitive climbing includes three disciplines: lead, speed, and bouldering.

The next moves will take place mostly behind the scenes, Ferguson said. “Our steps are working with the IOC and IFSC to make things happen on their levels. We’re implementing drug-testing policies and all the things the IOC requires.

“We have to become attractive enough that the IOC wants us in the games,” Ferguson said. Citing rugby’s change from 11 players on a side to 7 for the Olympics, he said, “Sometimes it’s about altering the rules. It might be scoring—some sports have altered their scoring to make them easier to understand…we have a huge opportunity in that we’re youth-based and they’re looking for youth games.”

In December, a delegation from the IFSC met with IOC president Jacques Rogge and presented him with commemorative climbing shoes and a climbing hold. Muriel Sarkany, the current world champion in lead climbing and IFSC’s athlete’s rep, said at the time, “Honestly, I’d have never believed that this could happen. Being welcomed by the head of the Olympic family gives dignity to our sport and to us climbers.”

Now you have three years to pitch, 10 to train.

Tagged as: climbing