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EICA: Ratho to host IFSC World Cup
Edinburgh Leisure | Wednesday 6th July 2022 9:00am
EICA: Ratho, Edinburgh to host IFSC World Cup Series
The UK's largest climbing arena, EICA: Ratho in Edinburgh, has been announced as the venue to host the 13th event of the IFSC World Cup series from 9 to 11 September 2022. The decision was announced by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), together with the British Mountaineering Council and GB Climbing on 4th July. The event replaces the IFSC Lead and Speed World Cup that was originally scheduled to take place in Wujiang, China, but was cancelled earlier this year due to ongoing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
It will be a welcome return for the IFSC to the Scottish capital, which last hosted an IFSC event in 2019 – the European Championships in Lead and Speed – and last staged a World Cup event in 2017 - again both events were held at Edinburgh Leisure's climbing arena at Ratho.
IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “It is always a challenge to find replacement hosts for events that are cancelled at short notice, but we know from past experience that EICA: Ratho will rise to the challenge and organise an event that will be successful. A big thank to the authorities in Scotland and to our counterparts at the British Mountaineering Council and GB Climbing."
“The introduction of climbing at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 successfully introduced our amazing sport to a massive new audience, and we now have the perfect opportunity to capitalise on that inspiration with an IFSC Lead and Speed World Cup hosted on home soil, ahead of Paris 2024,” said Lorraine Brown, Head of Performance for GB Climbing. “Not only does this offer us the chance to place the spotlight on one of the most exciting and adrenaline-fuelled sports out there, but it’ll also be a valuable experience for our athletes - competing against the very best in the world, on an international stage.
“We are grateful to our partners Event Scotland, the Edinburgh City Council, and Mountaineering Scotland for their support with this event.”
Cllr Cammy Day, City of Edinburgh Council Leader said: “As Europe’s largest indoor climbing arena, Edinburgh’s EICA is the perfect venue for the IFSC World Cup series. We’re looking forward to welcoming this event to the city –as a keen novice climber and boulderer myself I'll join other spectators in taking this fantastic opportunity to see some of the world’s best competitors in action.”
Victoria Harper, Manager at EICA: Ratho said: "We're very much looking forward to hosting the IFSC once again after successful events in 2017 and 2019. The climbing community and fans worldwide will once again have the opportunity to watch first-class climbing in our splendid venue in Edinburgh."
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