Sport climbing at the Paris Olympics: What it is, how it’s scored [Video]

PARIS, France — Speed climbing is a relatively new sport to the Olympics, making its official debut during the last Olympic Games in Tokyo. It combines speed, agility, strategy and strength to compete in the three disciplines that make up the sport. 

How does it work and how do the judges score athletes? Here’s what you need to know about the event:

What is sport climbing?

Sport climbing involves three formats: bouldering, speed and lead.

In the first discipline, athletes are tasked with climbing a nearly 5-meter wall — without ropes — under a time limit with as few attempts as possible. During their climb, athletes have four boulders, or “problems,” to overcome. In the semifinals, climbers have five minutes to complete the course and only four minutes in the finals. Climbers in the final get eight minutes to observe …