SCALING NEW HEIGHTS

Sport climbing used to be a niche sport but, with films like Free Solo and Hollywood actor Tom Cruise's cliff-climbing scene in Mission Impossible 2, it has piqued more interest.

- Melvyn Teoh

With the sport entering the mainstream, not only are more climbing gyms opening, but more Singaporeans are also travelling abroad to scale greater heights.

There are three disciplines in sport climbing speed, boulder and lead - with the sport making its second Olympic appearance at Paris 2024 three years after its debut in Tokyo.

Bouldering is a form of free climbing on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses, although most climbers use chalk and climbing shoes for better grip.

Freelance coaches and national athletes Lynnette Koh and Dennis Chua, who have been climbing for over a decade, have stayed in the sport for different reasons.