Milne, Mcarthur and Thompson-Smith set to spearhead GB climbing team at must-watch multisport event of the year

GB Climbing has announced a strong line up of athletes to represent the country at the European Championships in Munich which takes place from 11-21 August 2022.

This will be the first-time in a competitive championships environment that athletes experience the new combined Boulder and Lead format to be used in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Athletes will compete in the individual events of, Boulder, Lead and Speed climbing. Athletes who compete in Boulder and Lead climbing will be eligible to gain ranking points, with the top eight athletes then qualifying for the new combined event.

The event will see current favourites Hamish Mcarthur (20) building on his Bronze World Championship in Moscow last year, Max Milne (21) consolidating a series of strong performances including a silver during the Brixen installation of the 2022 World Cup season, and Molly Thompson-Smith (24) using the event as a spring board going into Olympic qualifiers next year.

The event also marks a first for rising stars, Mathew Fall (20) a speed specialist who clocked a British record at the July World Cup in Chamonix, Toby Roberts (17) 2022 Lead European Youth Champion and Gold medallist at the 2023 Lead Continental Cup at Zilina, Slovakia and Erin McNeice (18) finalist at the 2023 Lead Continental Cup at Zilina, Slovakia – all selected to the first major championship team.

Lorraine Brown, Head of Performance for GB Climbing, run by the BMC (British Mountaineering Council), said: “This promises to be one of the biggest major events in the climbing calendar this year and a chance to watch the very best British climbers experience and excel in the Olympic format for first time ahead of the Paris 2024 qualifying season next year.

“Our athletes possess an athletic smorgasbord of skills – with the power, flexibility, dynamism and technical skill required for boulder alongside the power and endurance required for Lead. Add to that the athleticism and explosive power of those competing in the speed category and it’s clear to see why sport climbing is capturing the nation!

“The competition will also be a valuable opportunity for our athletes to compete against the very best in Europe before notching it up against the world’s best on home soil less than a month later at the World Cup in Edinburgh on September 9-11.”

For the second edition in 2022, the innovative competition brings together the existing championships of the continent’s leading sports into one multi-sport event to create a must-watch, must-attend experience that elevates the Champions of Europe.

The European Championships builds the prestige and profile of the individual championships by uniting them in one multi-sport event every four years.

The event inspires the next generation of young athletes through the power of sport – leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.

The competition runs from 11-21 August, with both senior and junior athletes in action in the Sport Climbing competition.

The multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, featuring Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Rowing, Sport Climbing, takes place 11th-21st August on the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the Germany city. Buy tickets at tickets.munich2022.com