World Climbing: "Our climbers must combine their life with elite sport"
- Matthieu Amaré
- Apr 23
- 7 min read
World Climbing has just crossed the symbolic milestone of one million euros in prize money for its 2026 season. A spectacular progression that raises as many questions as it answers. We posed them to Piero Redaubengo, Secretary General of the international federation, who reveals the behind-the-scenes of the decision, defends his model against private leagues, and outlines his vision for the future of competitive climbing. And watch out—a few revelations slip between the lines.
Vertige Media : Crossing the one million euro prize money mark is a symbolic milestone that many have celebrated. How was the decision made?
Piero Rebaudengo : The decision was done in 2024, when we started a plan to increase the prize money in some competition, having the goal to increase all in 2026. It's a need, and it's also a way to stay in the market. We grew a lot and the growing is something that has to be measurable. And the prize money of the athletes is one of these pillars.
Vertige Media : Which market are you talking about exactly?
Piero Rebaudengo : In the market of the sport environment, the sport events environment, which weighs billions of euros. In 2020, close to the COVID, we started with a strategic plan which we call the 2028. On this strategic plan was a focus of competitions on events. And it was a clear statement saying that we have to increase the level of our events, increase the level of the visibility of our events. One is the prize money and the other one was to try to go to big cities. The other one is to increase the level of the setup of the competition. Personally, I am quite satisfied because we reached—we can do better, for sure—but if we turn around and turn back on the event of 2019 and 2020, the few we had, we are satisfied on the level of our organizers, on the level of the performance of the athletes, on the level of the perception of the public on our events.
Vertige Media : What specific issue does this decision to increase prize money address?
Piero Rebaudengo : The first goal, of course, is to give the athletes the possibility to compete and having the possibility to—I want to speak about work. Work is not a sport world, but being compensated with a reasonable, according to the value, amount of money. We also have to say something on the difference between some of our federations because some of our federations are providing cost of the athletes or the travel, accommodation and so on. Some do not do it and leave to the athletes the duty to pay by themselves and that is also something that we have to take care of.
Vertige Media : Many athletes still cannot make a living solely from competition climbing. In Germany, for example, climbers launched a crowdfunding appeal in 2025 to finance their travel. How does this increase change that reality?
Piero Rebaudengo : It's a reality we know. But beyond the prize money, we must also establish concrete services for the athletes.
"We are not a sport who has a queue out of our door. But the most interesting item is that the door is open, is not closed"
Vertige Media : Precisely, will you establish mandatory minimum services at each event: guaranteed accommodation reimbursement, meals, physio on site, travel grants, etc.?
Piero Rebaudengo : It's an objective, yes. We want to increase the level and the standard of our events, and that passes through better services for athletes. If we increase the standard and the level of the event, then for that we need an increasement of the organizers, and they will receive a new event, a better event that they can internally resell because they have some rights to cover some costs.
Vertige Media : Let's talk funding. How is this increase concretely financed?
Piero Rebaudengo : We increase the finances through media rights, through sponsorship rights, and through event rights. These are the three pillars of which we are working with. On media rights, we have more viewers. We cannot share any figures, but we are satisfied. They are satisfied (Eurosport/Discovery in Europe and Bilibili in China, editor's note) because one year ago, one year and a half ago, we negotiated another contract until the end of 2028 based on an increase of the revenues from our side. We are one of the few new sport that had an increase of the contract.
Vertige Media : And on the sponsor side?
Piero Rebaudengo : Both. We have more sponsors and the sponsors we have are putting more money. Up to now, we had endemic sponsors (belonging to the same sector as climbing, editor's note). We open to general sponsor and we are now negotiating with different sponsors. We are not a sport who has a queue out of our door, knocking on our door "how much you need or how much you want." But the most interesting item is that the door is open, is not closed.
Vertige Media : Is this triptych—media rights, sponsors, local organizers—the model you want to keep for the future?
Piero Rebaudengo : Up to now, we are planning to have at least until '28 the same model. And then being keen on the fact that the sport events environment is an evolution model. We cannot stay quiet. We have to think about how to propose maybe with some different discipline or same discipline with different model of proposal, which is the case of the four-lane speed, is the case of the team events, is the case of the boulder mix event. We are not stuck on the tradition. I mean, tradition is fundamental. It's the pillar of our sport. But trying to offer different models of events gives us the possibility to be more open.
"One of our goals to organize a World Cup event in Paris. It's a pity that we cannot propose to Paris again climbing. We are working on it. And I think that it will happen sooner or later"
Vertige Media : You mentioned "big cities." Can we imagine that in France, for example, a World Cup event would take place in Paris rather than Chamonix?
Piero Rebaudengo : Yes, this is one of our goals. And we are very close to the French Federation to do it together because it's a mutual goal. It's also a goal after Paris Olympics. It's a pity that we cannot propose to Paris again climbing. And we are working on it. And I think that it will happen sooner or later.
Vertige Media : Some organizers, like in Switzerland or Czech Republic, charge tickets. Is this a model you encourage?
Piero Rebaudengo : It is a process we left to the organizer the freedom to do it. Some are doing and some are very satisfied on it. Personally, I agree. We have not to be in a hurry to do it, but we have not also to be shy on it.
Vertige Media : Where does the prestige of a competitive sport come from, in your view?
Piero Rebaudengo : I think it comes from the athletes. I see climbing is having a more mature approach on the sport, having this goal that a young kid or young girl can see and can watch Janja Garnbret taking the Olympics and having two Olympic medals, two gold medals in Olympic and approach the sport. Instead of having one million per event prize money. I think this is the big difference between us and tennis.
"Our climbers are nice, are clean, are passionate"
We have a lot of work to do with the athletes, bringing them with us together, being a role model, being available to meet young climbers before the competition, after the competition. The NBA has a contract with all the athletes obliging them to take time to be role models with schools, with the kids, with spectators. And this is also important. We are far away to be in this way, but this is a target. Because they are nice. Our climbers are nice, are clean, are passionate. Most of them are students, have an intellectual level, high level. And they combine their life with the sport, with an elite sport. And this is the role model.
Vertige Media : There is also a private league in climbing, the very recent Pro Climbing League, which offers £10,000 to the winner in a single event, with expenses covered for headliners. Did this competition weigh in your decision to increase prizes?
Piero Rebaudengo : Competitors are necessary to grow and to improve. In the monopoly, you do not improve. Our performance, our athletes' performance is based on the goal to be Olympic champion. And probably the Pro League is far away to be in the system, but we are very keen on these models. We can also discuss with them.
Vertige Media : You've already had conversations?
Piero Rebaudengo : Yes, we see them. We monitor, of course, as we are monitored by them, of course. And we are on the spot. Conversation based on performances, on how to make athletes happier, how to make athletes safer, more safe, and how to have also a calendar of the competitions.
Vertige Media : Will paraclimbing competitions also have guaranteed and public prize money?
Piero Rebaudengo : We are working on it. We are working to clarify something with the paraclimbing movement which are the number of classification that are in the environment. It's also a cultural approach for us as for all sports who are doing para-sport. We want to have athletes. We do not want to do benevolent. We want to have performance. And this is the reason why we are in the Paralympic Games.
Not to hope that, okay, we have a person on wheelchair, let's do climbing. Maybe it's not climbing the best sport for you to stay out of home. Maybe it's another, but we need to know their needs and what they want.
Vertige Media : If you had to envision 2030, what scenario would you hope for the World Climbing circuit?
Piero Rebaudengo : With a magic wand, I would like to have additional medals in Brisbane (host city of the 2032 Summer Olympics, editor's note), with a team event, a mixed team event, because it's one of the key points to push our national federation to invest in athletes. The work of the National Federation means some athletes are giving to the National Federation the possibility to have this performance goal. But if we have also a team opportunity, we can attract more National Federation. And they are obliged to bring the athletes and to pay for the athletes to bring the athletes to the competition. It's a virtuous system because it creates champions. Alberto Tomba (nicknamed "la Bomba," one of the most decorated Italian skiers in history, editor's note) was not a product of a research of the Italian Federation. It was the Italian star that shined, emerging naturally from a federal system. Stars don't emerge by chance. And it's difficult to find Janja Garnbret on the street.
