How the sport climbing world ranking works
World Climbing ranks climbers separately in boulder, lead, speed and combined boulder-and-lead; it also ranks countries in the speed relay. A climber's ranking is the total of their six best results in the last 12 months. It is updated every day.
Points come from a single table, 1000 for a win down to 1 for 80th, adjusted for how important the competition is. Continental events pay less, and more on a strong continent than a weak one: a continental title is worth 300 points on the strongest continent and 200 on the weakest.
Which results count
- Best six results in the previous 12 months, not weighted by age.
- At most three of them from continental series and international climbing series events together.
- Boulder-and-lead ranking: at least one result in each, at most three from one discipline.
- Only World Events (World Championships, World Series, named Games), continental events and international climbing series events count; invitation events do not. A continental event with only one country scores nothing.
Base points (World Events)
| Place | Points | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1000 | 10 | 350 |
| 2 | 805 | 20 | 155 |
| 3 | 690 | 30 | 48 |
| 4 | 610 | 40 | 15 |
| 5 | 545 | 50 | 8 |
| 6 | 495 | 60 | 4 |
| 8 | 415 | 80 | 1 |
Each competition also has a status factor that sets its weight; World Climbing publishes the list each January.
Continental events
| Strongest continent | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Weakest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continent strength factor | 1.5 | 1.375 | 1.25 | 1.125 | 1.0 |
| Continental championship, 1st | 300 | 275 | 250 | 225 | 200 |
| Continental championship, 2nd | 230 | 211 | 192 | 173 | 153 |
| Continental series, 1st | 150 | 138 | 125 | 113 | 100 |
The strength of a continent is the total points of its best 20 climbers in that discipline at the end of the previous year. Continental championships pay down to 20th; continental series and international series events to 10th and 20th, and only if enough climbers start.
A worked example
Made up to show the arithmetic. An Asian lead climber's six best results: 12th and 20th at World Series events (300 and 155, before any status factor), 2nd at the Asian Championships (where Asia ranks 3rd in strength: 192), and three continental series wins (Asia 3rd: 125 each), of which only three series/international results can count. Total before status factors: 300 + 155 + 192 + 125 + 125 + 125 = 1,022.
Variations
| Ranking | Covered here |
|---|---|
| Boulder, lead, speed, boulder-and-lead (individual) | Yes |
| Speed relay (countries) | Rules only |
| Status factors and the year's continent strengths | No (published each January) |