CLIMBING: THE opening round of the Midlands Youth Climbing Series was hosted in Solihull, and there was plenty or regional success.
More than 100 competitors aged between seven and 17-years-old visited Flash Climbing for the opening round of the regional competition which visits six climbing centres across the midlands.
The series is organised by parents and climbing centres to give young climbers the opportunity to compete in a friendly and supportive environment in preparation for bigger competitions that are part of the Team GB climbing team selection process.
Competitors travelled from as far as Lincolnshire and Surrey to take part in the event.
But Hampton-in-Arden based climber Ben Adams stole the show, bagging gold in the Boys 8-9 category.
The eight-year-old didn’t expect to win the opening round, but was pleasantly surprised when he did – and he already has one eye on success at the competition’s later rounds.
He said: “I was nervous when I was climbing.
“I thought maybe I would come third or fourth.”
The event took place three years before climbing is set to be part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The sport has reached a high point in terms of popularity, and Flash Climbing’s Richard Twilton said he’s seeing first hand the increase in popularity.
He said: “We’re thrilled with how the day went.
“Everyone tried their best, and we’re very proud of how our kids performed.
“It was great to be asked to host the first round of the competition.”
The next round of the series takes place at Alter Rock in Derby on November 5.
