BOulder climbers are clean people. They always have a brush with them on a long handle to wipe away the traces of magnesia from the floor that their predecessors left on the colorful plastic stones on the walls. It would not occur to the ambitious athletes to orient themselves to it. Each of the creative minds who devote themselves to unraveling the tasks set by the route planner has to find a suitable solution for himself and his body within a short time in order to achieve the top grip at the end of the vertical course in the ongoing battle against gravity to reach.
How often they fail does not only play a decisive role in the evaluation of the respective round. Those who initially do not use their fingertips in a competition enjoy an advantage later. Even the best cannot survive without injuries. “Everyone has their own skin care tricks,” reveals Jan Hojer. The 29-year-old from Cologne is one of two Germans who are allowed to take part in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The athlete is aware of the burden he carries.
Newcomers to the Olympic program
For the time being, the newcomers to the Olympic program are only planned in Japan and three years later in Paris. The future is open. The possibly only short time in the light of the very large public want to use professional associations such as athletes as best as possible for self-promotion. This is one of the reasons why Hojer was there last weekend when the climbers held their German championships for the first time as part of the “Finals” in Bochum’s Ruhrstadion. “In terms of the schedule, it didn’t suit me so well,” says the two-time European champion. A few days earlier he came home from the World Cup in Salt Lake City. “But it was right on my doorstep, and so far we’ve mostly held our competitions behind closed doors.”
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This time it was possible to see on public television how Hojer finished second in bouldering and fifth in speed. He has been feeling the increased perception for a long time. “I used to have to explain to people what I do.” Today, many people know what bouldering is, and sponsors are easier to find.
While in one and a half months in Tokyo only one gold medal will be awarded for the best all-rounder for men and women, the three disciplines in Paris in 2024 will be divided into two competitions: a combination of bouldering and lead, the traditional climbing on a rope on a given route, and a pure speed decision – a vertical race, so to speak.
Such a division suits those who like to pursue their passion with a head. For the systematics among the Spider men and women, speed is a rather boring challenge that calls for dynamism, while bouldering is a lot about maximum strength and lead is about endurance.
Those who skip Tokyo can be more focused on preparing for Paris. Hojer, who is starting for the Frankfurt section of the German Alpine Club (DAV), sees this as an increasing disadvantage for himself, should he continue his career. The youngsters are already mastering the smooth surfaces that didn’t even exist when they won the overall World Cup in 2014.
Four national coaches
Climbing as a competitive sport has become more professional in every respect. There are now four national coaches working in Germany, there are talent assessments, management courses and permanent training facilities. “In the lead, we are among the top 5 nations,” says DAV coach Urs Stöcker. There is a lot of catching up to do in the other areas. Because the sport and its level of performance have also developed rapidly internationally.
For the two German starters in Tokyo, including Alexander Megos from Erlangen, the aim is to “get the best out of it”. Hojer’s optimism is fueled by the fact that “I was third at the World Championships in the same field in 2018”. Last but not least, his success depends on a clean route and his fingertips.
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