“We have a legend on the screen.” That’s how Ahmed Toure, the commentator for USA Climbing, introduced Chris Sharma this weekend when the iconic climber showed up to a competition dominated by young people. Sharma had just begun his last route in the lead climbing finals of the North American Cup Series when Toure explained to audiences why this 43-year-old man was competing against climbers less than half his age.
“He’s just been an incredible representative of the climbing community for decades,” Toure said. “It’s cool to see him coming out of the woodwork. Just to come and have fun in this competition with all the youngsters out here …. He might be on the older side, but he’s no slouch.”
That turned out to be an understatement.
Sharma took home a silver medal, earning a place on the podium alongside gold medalist Sergey Lakhno, 20, and bronze winner Jayden Perez, 18. As one of the first stars to emerge from competition climbing in the 1990s, Sharma brought a classic, chill attitude to his performance at New Jersey’s GOAT Climbing Gym, Toure noted.
As Sharma worked his way through powerful moves on slippery holds, he slipped close to the top, allowing Lakhno to get a little higher and edge out Sharma for the gold.
But as Toure pointed out, it’s no big deal for Sharma, who is, indeed, “a very busy guy.”
Bridging the Generational Gap
While climbing isn’t quite as age-dependent as a sport like gymnastics, it’s still uncommon to see older climbers reach the podium in modern competitions. In the 2022 North American Cup Series, the men’s gold medal winner was just 23. Olympic medal winners this summer included 18-year-old Sam Watson for speed climbing and 19-year-old Toby Roberts for lead climbing.
Still, it’s not terribly surprising that a middle-aged Chris Sharma would choose to attend a climbing competition. (He couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.) In his youth, Sharma proved himself a generational talent both inside — and outside — climbing gyms.
In 1997, he took home a gold medal from the Lead World Cup in Kranj, and silver from the Lead World Championships in Paris. He also won gold at the Boulder World Cup in Munich in 2001, though he was later disqualified after testing positive for marijuana. On real rock, Sharma pushed the limits farther than anyone believed possible, establishing Biographie, the world’s first 5.15 climb, in 2001.
In a podcast with Climbing Editor Seiji Ishii earlier this year, Sharma shared the interview with 23-year-old crusher Drew Ruana and discussed the long arc of his career. While addressing his notable longevity in climbing, Sharma emphasized the importance of consistency in his training as he got older. He also talks about taking breaks to avoid burnout.
“I’ve been a pro climber for like 28 years,” Sharma said in the interview. “These days I’m just as psyched as I’ve ever been, maybe more, now that I have more responsibilities, I’d say I’m even more psyched than I was before.”
He’s certainly kept busy. Sharma now balances the responsibilities of his climbing gym in Barcelona, a TV show for HBO hosted with Jason Momoa, and, of course, being a dad. With all of that, the legendary climber somehow found time to show up to a climbing competition dominated by teenagers — and take home another medal in a long career of wins.
One thing is clear: This middle-aged dad can still climb with the best of them.
