USA Climbing Athletes’ Commission speaks out in favour of National Training Center

Amid opposition from commercial gym owners, the Team USA Athletes’ Commission has thrown its support behind the proposed National Training Center in Salt Lake City. 

The commission, which serves as the representative body of Team USA athletes, said in a news release the facility is needed to make America more competitive. 

It pointed out their athletes have had to use a piecemeal approach to securing training areas, while other countries have purpose-built facilities.

“While other nations and other sporting bodies invest heavily in dedicated centers for their national teams, American climbers have relied on borrowed gym time, temporary warehouse setups, and personal resourcefulness,” reads the statement, which was posted on Climbing Business Journal’s press release service on March 30.

However, the introduction of the National Training Center in Salt Lake City will be a game-changer.

“This facility is needed to help make the US more competitive on the international stage, to have a dedicated event stage, and to provide education and development opportunities for our broader community,” said the commission. “We believe the NTC is foundational to athlete development and the continued growth of competition climbing in the United States.”

The comments from the athletes’ commission arrive after signatories representing over 100 gyms submitted a letter stating their opposition to the project several weeks ago.

Gym operators were concerned the proposed commercial space within the National Training Center would draw customers away from other Salt Lake City gyms. 

There were also worries that it would bias USA Climbing in favour of Momentum, the gym brand partner for the facility. 

“We are aware that questions have been raised about the NTC’s impact on commercial climbing gyms,” said the athletes’ commission.

“As athletes, we are not in a position to speak to business projections or operating models. What we can say is that competition-style terrain, with its higher grades, lower density, and frequent turnover, serves a fundamentally different purpose than the welcoming, broad-appeal environment that makes local gyms successful.”

The commission said it doesn’t want those resources to be for the national team alone. 

This proposed project recently cleared another hurdle at Salt Lake City Council Hall. This involved securing funding to aid in the rebuild of a historic building located on the construction site. 

Construction on the National Training Center is anticipated to start in Fall 2026, with the goal being to open the facility in January 2028, six months before the LA28 Olympics.

This would give athletes some time to train before the start of the Games.

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