Innsbruck 2022 FISU World University Championship Sport Climbing is ready to kick off

Photos credit: KVÖInnsbruck-Tirol is ready to host the 2022 FISU World University Championship Sport Climbing, after having already successfully organised this year’s IFSC Austria Climbing Open for the first time.

The 2022 FISU Championship Sport Climbing event is organised by the University of Innsbruck in collaboration with Unisport Austria – its National University Sports Federation (NUSF) – and the Austrian Climbing Association. The international event will take place on 14-17 June 2022 in the climbing centre of Innsbruck. In lead climbing, speed climbing and bouldering, the participants will compete for the title of World University Sport Climbing Champion.

“I see university sport as part of the educational role of the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research. Sport supports and promotes wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle, it is an excellent means of compensating the high stress students are subject to and helps to establish a network in domestic and international sport,” says SC Mag. Elmar Pichl from the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. “That is why we provide over eight million euros a year to the seven universities that currently have a university sports institute. University sport is – like army and police sport as well – a special sport and is established in Austria as a company sport at the universities.”

The last major international university sports event in Austria was the FISU Winter Universiade in Innsbruck 2005. During that event, 11 sports were played and reunited 2’223 participants and 1’149 athletes breaking several records. “Overall, Austria is very active and successful in sport climbing,” Pichl says. “It therefore made sense that we, together with the University of Innsbruck and the Austrian Climbing Association, submitted a bid for a FISU World University Championship Sport Climbing in autumn 2019, which was subsequently awarded by FISU in the same year.”

So far, FISU has organised two World University Championships in Sport Climbing: 2016 in Shanghai (CHN) and 2018 in Bratislava (SVK). “The Austrian NUSF, Unisport Austria, is part of the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research. We represent all students from all universities in Austria in national, European, and international student sports. As one of the first member associations to join the European and international university sports federations, EUSA and FISU, we enable students to participate in European and international university championships and University Games,” explains Dr. Hemma Angerer, Acting President Unisport Austria.

University Prof. Dr. Dr.hc.mult. Tilmann D. Märk, Rector of the University of Innsbruck, is looking forward to the sport climbing event: “University sport is very important within the University of Innsbruck and with the USI Innsbruck it has a ‘flagship sport campus’. We are talking about 28’000 participants per academic year in over 1’000 courses. The competence of all players involved showcases Innsbruck, and the event will set a new benchmark. “

The Innsbruck 2022 FISU World University Championship Sport Climbing will also be scientifically supported: The research seminar will be used to research various aspects of sport climbing.

“We are expecting over 250 athletes in Innsbruck and want to make the best possible use of the event in all areas. We can offer the perfect setting in the Innsbruck climbing centre with its infrastructure that is unique in the world. A little less than a year before the start, the organisation is doing well in terms of the planning,” explains Mag. Gernot Hupfauf, General Manager of the Innsbruck 2022 FISU World University Championship Sport Climbing.

The event website has now been launched, and participants and fans are constantly informed about the latest developments on social media.

“When the University of Innsbruck approached the Austrian Climbing Association in 2019 with the request to host the FISU World University Championship Sport Climbing 2022, we were quickly convinced,” says Mag. Michael Schöpf from the Austrian Climbing Association. “The dual training of its athletes is particularly important to our association because a professional career follows a sporting career. For this reason, we wanted to proactively contribute to the preparation and implementation of this major event with our experience in previous events.”

In the end, all people involved in the preparations agree: Innsbruck-Tirol is ready for the Innsbruck 2022 FISU World University Championship Sport Climbing.

Event Timetable (provisional)

VIEW THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE BY wucsportclimbing2022.at