Singapore can produce world class climbers says South Korean great Kim Ja in

SINGAPORE – With a decorated career that includes 31 World Cup wins, 14 Asian titles and two World Championships since 2004, Kim Ja-in certainly knows what it takes to be successful on the world stage in sport climbing.

And the South Korean climbing legend believes that Singapore has the potential to produce Olympic-calibre climbers.

The 36-year-old got up close and personal with about 30 local climbers on March 1 as she did a demonstration climb and a meet-and-greet with the community at Project Send, a bouldering gym at the Esplanade.

The renowned athlete’s trip to Singapore is part of energy drink Red Bull’s Train Like A Champ challenge, an initiative seeking to encourage more Singaporeans to embrace an active lifestyle.

Speaking through a translator, Kim said: “I can see that climbing has grown more popular here even compared to last August, when I came here for the first time.

“Singapore has lots of climbing gyms now, but more people need to look to do it as more than just a hobby and train and climb like athletes.

“I have met the youth athletes here and they have good energy and I think they have what it takes (to make it to the Olympics),but what is required is more support from the Government and also for corporate sponsors to get involved and fund their dreams.”

In climbing, there are three disciplines: speed, boulder and lead. At Tokyo 2020, where climbing made its Olympic debut, all three were combined into a single event.

At Paris 2024, speed climbing – a one-on-one elimination competition up a 15-metre wall – was contested separately, while boulder and lead remained combined.

In bouldering, athletes climb 4.5-metre walls without ropes in a limited time frame and in the fewest attempts possible. In the lead category, athletes