On June 24th at 03:40 Astana time, a flight from Budapest arrived at Almaty airport, carrying athletes who participated in the Olympic qualification for sport climbing.
Three Kazakhstani athletes took part in the qualifiers. In the "speed" discipline for men, Amir Maimuratov and Rishat Khaybullin advanced to the 1/8 finals. Tamara Ulzhabaeva also made it through the initial round. With the best result of 4.95 seconds in the qualifiers, Amir Maimuratov progressed to the final, setting a new Kazakhstan record, as announced by the press service of the Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing of Kazakhstan.
"All three of our athletes performed admirably in the qualifying stages of the competition, breaking personal records and setting new national bests," noted Nursultan Shokanov, the head of the Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In the qualification round, Amir Maimuratov secured first place with a time of 4.95 seconds, advancing to the 1/8 finals where he confidently outperformed his opponents to reach the final. The qualifying series consisted of two tournaments, with the first held in Shanghai. Athletes who completed both stages and earned the required points obtained licenses. Maimuratov scored a total of 75 points, placing him in the top three license holders.
"The license is a natural result of the demonstrated willpower of our athletes and the work of the entire team of coaches, psychologists, masseurs, and federation officials," emphasized Nursultan Shokanov.
At 28 years old, Master of Sport Amir Maimuratov excels in speed climbing. He became the champion of the Asian Youth Championship in 2012 and won the Asian Cup in 2017.
Sport climbing is developing in 15 regions of Kazakhstan, with approximately 5,000 people engaging in the sport in the country. In 2016, sport climbing was included in the program of the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and Kazakhstan was the first among CIS countries to secure a participation license. Kazakhstani climber Rishat Khaybullin ranked among the top three climbers in the world at the 2019 World Championships and represented Kazakhstan at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Two promising female climbers from Kazakhstan, Tamara Ulzhabaeva and Asel Marlenova, consistently achieve podium finishes in major international tournaments.
Sport climbing has high potential for development, especially due to its mass appeal. There is a direct correlation: the more efforts are made to develop mass climbing, the greater the chances of producing new stars in the sport. Mass participation will contribute to its success and lay the foundation for further growth, as highlighted by the Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing.
Considering Kazakhstan's strong sport climbing school, the current focus is on establishing and developing modern infrastructure in line with global standards, including a network of regional athlete training centers.
"The federation's goal is to make climbing, along with mountaineering and ski mountaineering (a new Olympic sport), national sports in Kazakhstan. We see all disciplines, sports, and applied disciplines under the federation's supervision gaining momentum. It's not just about the license. Our athletes conquer the highest points on Earth, and we aim to strengthen the contribution of our women," stated the federation's leader.
Previously, the Shokanov Family Foundation, established by the federation's leader, announced a special $10,000 prize for Kazakhstani athletes who demonstrate outstanding results and secure spots at the Olympic Games. Thus, Amir Maimuratov will be the recipient of this award.
The Federation of Mountaineering of Kazakhstan was founded in 1957. In 2016, the Association of Legal Entities "Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing of the Republic of Kazakhstan" (FA and SC RK) was established.
The FA and SC RK is a full member of several international federations including IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing), UIAA (The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation), ISMF (International Ski-Mountaineering Federation), and UAAA (Union of Asian Alpine Associations).
