CEC will use the following guiding principles when creating the schedule for a competition season. These are not specific rules or policies; rather, these are the guidelines that CEC will endeavour to satisfy when crafting a competition schedule. In some cases, it will be impossible to satisfy all of the guiding principles. Should that occur, CEC will endeavour to strike a reasonable balance between the guiding principles.
Integration with International Sport Climbing
To ensure alignment with the International Federation, CEC will endeavour to
- align with the IFSC schedule and requirements
- align with the Olympic format and cycle:
- Paris 2024: Boulder & Lead (Combined) and Speed
- LA 2028: TBD (hoping for all 3 disciplines)
Accessibility and Opportunity
To enable athletes across Canada in all categories to flourish, CEC will endeavour to
- offer opportunities in all three disciplines (Boulder, Lead, and Speed)
- offer national opportunities for Youth B, Youth A, Junior, and Senior
- offer regional opportunities for Youth C, Youth B, and Youth A
- support the development and growth of climbing in all Canadian markets
- keep events accessible, including by alternating Nationals between East and West
Athlete-Centered
To provide athletes with the best possible competition experience, CEC will endeavour to
- minimize travel requirements
- provide adequate lead time for travel bookings
- minimize competition costs to athletes
- provide a selection process for the High Performance Program and Youth World Championships
- avoid holding competitions on weekdays when possible
Follow Long Term Development (LTD) Principles
In support of appropriate and effective long-term development of our athletes, we will endeavour to
- encourage and support participation of athletes across all three disciplines until athletes reach the Senior level, recognizing that climbing is a late-specialization sport
- ensure competitions are planned and run with the specific athlete audience in mind based on the long-term development pathway
- support athletes’ periodization of training vs. competition ratio
Partnership with Event Hosts
Recognizing the importance of Event Hosts to a successful competition season, CEC will endeavour to:
- minimize expenses to Event Hosts
- minimize logistic requirements for Event Hosts
- maximize potential revenue through public and local grants
- work with Event Hosts to support growth of Canadian climbing facilities
- avoid scheduling competitions in busier and more profitable times of year
Support for CEC Members and Stakeholders
To provide support and clarity to all our stakeholders, CEC will endeavour to
- schedule events two years in advance
- listen to stakeholder input
- support selection process with clear qualification pathways
- support innovative ideas and solutions
