Eating disorders remain a “huge” problem in climbing, Olympic champion Janja Garnbret has said, even as new rules have been implemented to prevent dangerously underweight athletes from competing.
The International Sports Climbing Federation announced new rules in February after a group of elite athletes spoke publicly about their experiences with relative energy deficiency in the sport and called for action from the entity.
Climbers benefit from a greater strength-to-weight ratio. Many adopt the methodology of losing weight instead of gaining strength, without realizing the damage this can cause to their health.
“They have come out with a new policy that looks good on paper, but until I see it in practice, nothing will change and I won’t believe it,” Garnbret told Reuters in an interview during an Adidas event in Paris on Thursday.
“It’s still a huge problem. I think we’re going in the right direction, but nothing changes yet and I hope something starts to change soon,” he added.
Under the rules, imposed on April 9, climbers must provide information on height, weight, heart rate and blood pressure, and national federations must issue a health certificate based on those parameters or order further testing.
Source: Terra
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