USA Climbing, the national governing body for the sport of climbing, is pleased to announce the addition of Deana Labriola to its Board of Directors. Labriola’s experience in the climbing community and her professional background make her a valuable addition to the organization’s leadership team. Labriola brings to the Board the professional skillset of a more than 20-year career as a corporate lawyer and the experience of being a parent to a youth athlete within the competitive climbing community. “Deana Labriola is a great combination of committed climbing parent, well-respected professional, and influential voice for many successful organizations,” said Marc Norman, President of USA Climbing. “We are thrilled to welcome her to our Board of Directors. Her expertise and commitment to the sport will be invaluable as we continue to advance the growth and development of climbing in the United States.” Labriola has a proven track record of board service, as she currently holds several positions dedicated to the success of various private and non-profit organizations, including YMCA of the Triangle, one of the top 5 YMCAs in the country for youth programming, operating revenue, and annual campaign fundraising. In her various board and committee roles, she has served in a leadership capacity on several fundraising and capital campaigns, supported and advised on enterprise risk management matters, and transitioned boards and committees through evolving governance structures and community partner relationships. “I am honored to join the USA Climbing Board of Directors and contribute to the continued success of the sport,” said Labriola. “Climbing has been a significant part of my family’s life, and I am excited to work alongside fellow board members to support the climbing community and drive positive change within the sport.” As a member of the Board of Directors, Labriola will play a crucial role in guiding the strategic direction of USA Climbing, overseeing its policies, and ensuring that the organization’s mission to promote and grow climbing in the United States is fulfilled. Labriola’s appointment to the USA Climbing Board of Directors underscores the organization’s commitment to fostering a strong community and shaping the future of the sport. Click Here to learn more about the USA Climbing Board of Directors.
As the dust settles from last week’s World Championship and Paraclimbing World Championship events, Team USA comes out with medals in hand, Olympic qualifying spots and having reached new milestones. The Highlights Boulder During the Boulder portion of the events, the Women came out swinging as Brooke Raboutou, Natalia Grossman, Anastasia Sanders, and Kyra Condie all moved on to the semi-finals round. Raboutou was able to carry that momentum into finals as she secured her third-place spot on the podium and the first medal of the events for Team USA. Lead The men’s side of the US National Team picked up a bit of traction during the Lead round of the competition with Sean Bailey, Colin Duffy and Jesse Grupper all making their way into the semi-finals round along with Brooke Raboutou and Anastasia Sanders on the Women’s side. While both Bailey and Raboutou would move on to the final rounds, podium positions would elude them for this portion of the competition. Speed As is common, the speed portion of the events happened in a blur and was full of surprises from newcomers and veterans alike. This year the Speed portion of the World Championships came with a bit more weight as it would serve as the very first opportunity for athletes to qualify for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. The top two men and women would not only carry away a World Championship medal, but also lock in their spots at the upcoming summer games. Newcomer to the US National Team, Zachary Hammer, was able to run his way to the finals round of the men’s competition. While he was unable to secure a podium position, Hammer certainly had an exceptional debut to the World Championships and one that clearly alludes to great things to come. Team veteran, Emma Hunt, was also able to easily secure her spot in the final round of the women’s speed competition. While a podium finish was well within reach, Hunt thrilled the crowd in Bern by running her way into the second-place position on the podium. This not only secured her World Championship Silver medal, but also her Olympic qualification spot. In this one instance, Hunt was able to earn a second event medal for Team USA, earn the first Olympic qualifying spot for 2024 and be the first athlete to qualify for Speed as an individual discipline at the Olympic games. Paraclimbing Team USA’s Paraclimbing National Team also made their way to Switzerland as the Paraclimbing World Championships were held alongside last week’s Boulder, Lead, and Speed events in Bern. This year, Team USA found it’s first success with a total of 44 registered paraclimbing athletes taking part in the World Championships. A first for the team and a fantastic indicator for the growth of the sport and paraclimbing programs across the US. The success didn’t slow down there as twelve of those individuals quickly moved on to the finals round of competition. Ultimately, nine of those twelve athletes would go on to earn their place on the podium, carrying away four bronze medals and five silver medals for Team USA. Click Here for a full list of results from the Paraclimbing World Championships. This Paraclimbing World Championship event also marked a milestone as long-time competitor and highly decorated paraclimbing athlete, Maureen Beck, noted that it would be her final event in the paraclimbing competition circuit. Maureen has been a part of the paraclimbing competition community for the past ten years and along with the bronze medal she carried away this year, has not missed a podium position during that ten-year tenure. The climbing community is still hopeful to have paraclimbing included in the LA2028 Paralympics, so when asked, Maureen noted that she certainly wouldn’t rule out a return to competition for a shot at the 2028 Games. To learn more about Paraclimbing, you can visit the Paraclimbing page on the USA Climbing website. Boulder & Lead Combined As the World Championships headed into the final few days, the Boulder & Lead Combined events began, carrying along with it an opportunity for Olympic qualification given to the top three men and women. Brooke Raboutou, Anastasia Sanders, Natalia Grossman, and Kyra Condie all found their way to the semi-finals round on the women’s side while Colin Duffy and Sean Bailey did the same for the men. Regardless of the strong showing in the Lead finals round, Raboutou fell just shy of the podium with Sanders just four places behind. On the men’s side of the combined finals, Colin Duffy was the last of the US athletes to remain. Despite the strong field of competitors, Duffy was able to put on an impressive show during the Lead finals event and secure his second-place position on the podium. This of course meant that, along with the silver medal, Duffy had secured his place at the 2024 Summer Games. Duffy’s achievement not only made him the second US athlete to qualify for the 2024 Games, but also the first two-time US Olympian in the sport of climbing. Watch all the Livestream action from Bern on the IFSC YouTube Channel Click here for full results from the 2023 World Championships Learn more about the Boulder/Lead and Speed Olympic qualification systems.
Colin Duffy Takes Home the Silver Medal for Combined Finals and Qualifies for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris! USA National Team Member, Colin Duffy was able to claim the second place podium position during today’s Combined Finals event at the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships in Bern, SUI! Along with his silver medal, Colin has also earned a qualifying spot for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. This will be the second Olympic games that Colin has qualified for, the first being climbing’s Olympic debut in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Colin’s achievement makes him the first US athlete to qualify for the combined Boulder & Lead climbing event in the 2024 Olympics! About Colin Colin, a member of the USA Combined National Climbing Team, started climbing at age 3 before joining Team ABC in Boulder, Colorado at age 8, where he trained under former World Championship winner, Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou. At age 16, he became the youngest climber to qualify to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the second American male climber to do so, after winning the 2020 IFSC Pan American Championships in March 2020. Follow Colin on Instagram Watch Colin claim Sliver at the World Championship Combined Finals here on the IFSC YouTube Channel!
Emma Hunt Takes Home the Silver Medal for Speed and Qualifies for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris! USA National Team Member, Emma Hunt was able to claim the second place podium position during today’s Speed Finals event at the 2023 IFSC Climbing World Championships in Bern, SUI! Along with her silver medal, Emma has also earned a qualifying spot for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. Emma’s achievement makes her the first US climbing athlete to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. About Emma Emma, a member of the USA National Speed Climbing Team, has been climbing since the age of five. Hailing from Woodstock Georgia, Emma is currently pursuing a degree from Kennesaw State University in between training at her home gym, Stone Summit. Emma is highly accomplished on the international competition circuit, and currently holds the Women’s National Speed Record for the US, claimed at the IFSC World Cup Speed Event in Edinburgh in 2022. Follow Emma on Instagram Watch Emma Claim Sliver at the World Championship Speed Finals here on the IFSC YouTube Channel!