Climbing, other sports set to debut at Tokyo Olympics

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The countdown to the Olympic Games in Tokyo is on.

With the Opening Ceremony set for July 23, there will be some new sports to look forward to watching.

Those include skateboarding, surfing, karate, 3-on-3 basketball, freestyle BMX and mixed gender team events.

Climbers will also compete in a speed, lead, and bouldering medley for the first time.

Climb Nulu has been offering indoor bouldering, which is climbing without ropes, for half a decade now.

“It’s gotten me in super good shape,” Mason Beard, who spent the morning at Climb Nulu, said. “It’s so hard for me to get myself to go to the gym and this is way more fun. I’m not trying to be a pro at it or anything, but it’s cool to be able to get better at it and see progression at it in something.”

With bouldering on the world stage, that may soon be easier.

“I’m always excited to watch the summer Olympics for the running, the track and the marathoning and things like that,” Beard said. “Climbing is just another reason to watch the Olympics honestly.”

It’s something those at the bouldering gym said they hope will welcome more people to the activity they love.

“I’m really excited,” Nik Short, who works at Climb Nulu, said. “I think it’ll get more young people involved. With anything, the younger you get started the better you’ll be as an adult. I see kids progress in here as they turn into young adults and it’s really exciting.”

Baseball and Softball will also be returning to the Olympics this year.

Copyright 2021 WAVE 3 News. All rights reserved.