Shauna Coxsey today became the first sport climber selected to represent Team GB at the Olympic Games.
Coxsey, a two-time overall World Cup winner in her favoured bouldering discipline, will be part of climbing’s Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games this summer.
The 27-year-old from Runcorn is the country’s most successful ever athlete in the sport, with Coxsey adding two bronze medals in the bouldering and combined events at the 2019 Climbing World Championships to her World Cup triumphs.
The format of sport climbing at Tokyo 2020 combines speed, bouldering, and lead. Speed climbing will see two athletes race against each other up a 15m wall, bouldering comprises of tackling fixed routes on a 4.5m wall, and lead will challenge climbers to get as high as possible on up to a 15m wall within a specified time.
All athletes will compete across the three disciplines with the lowest combined scores deciding the final standings.
Coxsey is the 20th athlete officially selected to Team GB for Tokyo 2020 following previous announcements of 14 sailors and five canoeists.
Tokyo 2020 is set to run from 24th July to 9th August this summer with sport climbing featuring between the 4th and 7th August.
Shauna Coxsey said: “I am really excited to be part of Team GB and to have the privilege of joining so many incredible athletes to represent our country and sport climbing on the world's biggest sporting stage."
Team GB Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020 Mark England said: “Today marks a moment of history for the sport of climbing in the UK with its first selected Olympic athlete in Shauna Coxsey. It’s not only exciting for Team GB to be welcoming a new Olympic sport on the journey to Tokyo 2020 but to also announce an athlete of the talent and calibre of Shauna.”
“Climbing is set to be one of the showpiece events for fans watching the Games this summer and in Shauna we have a World Champion and a fantastic ambassador for the sport in the UK.”
Lorraine Brown, Sport Climbing Team Leader and Head of Managed Sports at the English Institute of Sport, said:
“Having witnessed Shauna’s Olympic qualification performance last year, it is exciting to see her officially selected onto Team GB for Tokyo 2020. Shauna is a pioneer for GB Climbing as the first sport climber to represent Team GB. I know she will be an amazing ambassador for sport climbing and Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”
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