The IFSC African Qualifier is coming to Loftus Versveld Park in Pretoria from 7 to 9 December! Read on to get details for the event and see who will be taking the stage to fight it out for a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and check out each day’s highlights at the bottom of the page…
EVENT SCHEDULE
The IFSC has released an updated schedule, and it’s going to be a packed few days as athletes from around the continent gather to tackle lead, boulder and speed.
SPECTATOR INFORMATION
Spectators are welcome at the competition (the more the merrier) and there is no entry fee, so come along and cheer on our athletes if you’ll be up north!
The climbing walls are located on Field D, just outside the Loftus Versveld Stadium. We advise parking at the Loftus Park shopping centre and making your way to the climbing walls on foot via the path marked in yellow on the map below – check out our Instagram stories for a timelapse of the walk if you’re worried about getting lost! Note that the parking is only free for the first 2 hours; click here to view rates thereafter.
There is limited seating, so bring along a camping chair if you have one, and make sure to layer up on sunblock and pack lots of water – it’s going to be a toasty few days.
All the events will be live-streamed on the IFSC YouTube channel, so if you aren’t able to make it to Pretoria you can still grab the popcorn and cheer on our athletes from afar!
ABOUT THE AFRICAN QUALIFIER
Following criticism of the fully combined climbing format at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee has changed the format for the Paris Games, splitting the disciplines into two separate events: Speed and combined Lead and Boulder. This means that there are four Olympic spots available (two per gender) for African athletes: two for Speed and two for Lead and Boulder.
The African Qualifier serves as the 2024 Olympic qualification event not just for South Africa but for the entire African continent. There are 40 competition spots in total, and South Africa has been allocated five athlete spots per gender per discipline, which have been snatched up by the following worthy competitors:
However, due to a low number of competitors joining us from fellow African countries, a few more of our local athletes will be competing! Click the button below to see who’s set to take the stage, and keep an eye on GoodBETA’s home page, Facebook and Instagram for more updates as the action unfolds…
HIGHLIGHTS
