Sean McColl’s pursuit of another Olympic Games in sport climbing includes bringing the next generation of Canadian talent along with him.
A former four-time world champion in combined — speed, bouldering and lead — McColl is closer to the end of his career than the beginning at the age of 36.
But he’s not so much passing the torch as lighting it to guide climbers such as brothers Oscar and Victor Baudrand into territories McColl’s travelled.
“It’s so important to me, mostly because at some time I’m going to stop, I’m going to retire,” McColl said. “I need to transfer my knowledge.”
The first man to represent Canada when sport climbing made its Olympic debut in Tokyo two years ago, McColl was as much a mentor for as he was a competitor of his boulder and lead teammates at the Pan American Games, where climbing also made its debut.
The U.S. swept the men’s boulder and lead podium late Monday evening at Cerrillos Park Climbing Walls. Gold medallist Jesse Grupper claimed a guaranteed berth in next summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
McColl, 18-year-old Oscar Baudrand and his 20-year-old brother Victor ranked fourth to sixth respectively. After the bouldering round, McColl and Sean Bailey of the U.S. were tied for first.
When the eight finalists were given their allotted time to study the lead fixed course, McColl and his proteges discussed how each could clamber as high as they could in their six minutes.
“I’ve seen it all in the competitions and they’ve seen some. Maybe not all,” said McColl of North Vancouver, B.C. “If I can slowly transfer that knowledge as a helper or as a coach, whatever it is, I’m willing to help these guys succeed.
“It’s funny because Oscar is 18, I’m 36. I’m twice his age. Victor is 20 and they just soak up information so quickly. Their minds are already built for the sport. Physically they’re built for the sport as well. They are the future. I’m not going to be doing this in 20 years. They could be in 20 years. I just want them to absorb as much as they can.”
For the Baudrand brothers, born in Quebec City and now based in Salt Lake City, Utah, McColl’s guidance in their first multi-sport Games was a steadying influence.
“It’s very different than what I’m used to. For the first time, it felt like I was competing for Canada,” Oscar said.
“Sean McColl is someone I’ve looked up to for a long time. I had my favourites that were maybe not Sean McColl before I met him, but he’s a huge idol to me.
“The amount of experience he has is almost unmatched and there’s so much I’ve learned from him over the past few years climbing with him.”
Added Victor: “I joined the circuit two or three years ago and he has been a mentor ever since. He plays a large role in developing and pushing us younger guys to our potential. He made me feel today I can continue to do this with him. I want to continue to do this with him.
“Hopefully one day I become him and I can help others reach their potential.”
McColl suffered a rib injury on his final bouldering pass at the Pan Ams, and felt his arms give out halfway up the lead wall.
“Really happy with the bouldering round. Definitely the highlight of the day,” McColl said.
He placed 17th in Tokyo where medals were determined by combined performances over the three disciplines.
Speed, in which two climbers sprint up a wall to touch the timing pad first, will be its own medal event in Paris next year.
Lead and bouldering will remain a combined competition. If those two disciplines were split for Los Angeles in 2028, McColl would be motivated to continue another Olympic quadrennial to 2028 because lead climbing is his strength.
Canada can send up to two men in lead and bouldering to Paris in 2024 via a pair of Olympic qualifying events next year.
Whether it’s Paris or L.A. for the Baudrands, McColl says the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, accelerated their learning curves.
“They will be better than me, whether they’re better now or in a year or two or four doesn’t matter,” the veteran said. “They will be better than me and I want to be there to mentor them through it.”
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