Judo, bouldering and speed skating competitions will draw hundreds of athletes to Richmond.

Original Article published by Richmond News.

Maria Rantanen
Mar 10, 2026 4:30 PM

The Richmond Olympic Oval is going to get very busy this weekend — with bouldering, judo and speed skating competitions taking place simultaneously.

The public is invited to come and watch all three competitions.

“Hosting events as diverse as bouldering, judo and speed skating under one roof is a hallmark of the Oval’s multi-purpose configuration,” Gerry De Cicco, managing director of the Oval, told the Richmond News.

The Oval has some parking access initiatives to make visiting more efficient, De Cicco explained, including a real-time parking availability tool.

But with so much going on, Oval management is reminding the public there are other options for parking outside the Oval facilities.

He noted visitors can use other parking facilities found within a two-minute walking distance of the Oval.

For information about parking, click here.

Judo competition brings athletes from as far away as Tahiti 

There will be about 700 athletes competing in judo on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, accompanied by 168 coaches and officials at the Matsuru Pacific International Judo Championships.

The athletes will be coming from Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Washington State and as far away as Tahiti.

The competition is part of the selection process for the Canadian national judo team, explained Katie Thompson, executive director of Judo BC.

The Pacific competition was originally organized by the Steveston Judo Club, one of the oldest judo clubs in the province.

During COVID-19, Judo BC took over the organizational aspects, “carrying on the legacy of the Steveston Judo Club,” Thompson said.

The Steveston club is sending 27 athletes and coaches, and Richmond-based Kaizen Judo Academy is sending seven.

Judo translates to the “gentle way,” and there is never any intent to injure an opponent, Thompson explained.

And judo’s philosophy of mutual welfare and benefit is practised both on the mat and off the mat.

“You don’t want to hurt the other person because that’s not beneficial,” Thompson said.

On the mat, the athletes are competing to see who has better control by keeping their opponent on the ground.

“There’s no punching or kicking — it’s about throwing and pinning someone to the ground,” Thompson said.

Thompson said judo is especially good for girls to teach them self confidence and self-defence, for example, how they learn to stand with confidence.

The public is welcome to come watch the various judo competitions over the weekend for free.

The biggest competition, the U18 nationals, will be held on Saturday afternoon.

Judo competitions will take place near the climbing wall at the Oval, while the 2026 Youth Boulder & Difficulty Provincials is taking place at the same time.

Physical and mental agility needed in bouldering

Balance, power, dynamic movement and coordination — these are just some of the skills needed to compete in bouldering and rope competitions.

But climbers also need grip strength — while sometimes holding onto ledges as small as 15 millimetres — as well as tendon strength.

Youth bouldering and difficulty competitions will be held at the Oval starting Friday and continue until Monday, and the public is invited to come and watch, said Bouldering BC executive director Jesse Taplin.

Competitors will get four to six “problems,” that is, routes to climb, at the climbing wall at the Oval.

“Each problem is designed to test if the athlete is well-rounded,” Taplin said.

In addition to physical agility, climbing sports also demand mental agility, he added.

Watching a competitor try and fail on a climb and then try again, “learn on the fly” and succeed is one of the “cool” parts of a competition, Tarpin said.

Bouldering is based on a point system — athletes who reach the top get 25 points, and those who make it the “zone” in the middle get 10 points.

Each athlete has three attempts. A failed attempt means 0.1 point will be deducted.

While bouldering is a shorter competition, it’s more intense and dynamic than ropes.

But ropes demand more endurance and athletes have one only one try, compared to three for bouldering.

The competition this weekend at the Oval will determine which athletes continue to nationals and regionals, Taplin explained.

While the event is “technically” a competition, these types of competition often feel “just like climbing with your friends,” given the support from those watching, Taplin said.

“The support from the crowd and fellow (athletes) is very inspiring,” he added.

This is the third time the Bouldering and Difficulty competition is being held at the Oval.

Short track speed skaters compete

The Oval is also hosting the 2026 Speed Skating BC Short Track Championships this weekend.

The provincial competition will take place on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, with races happening between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on both days.

This competition acts as a qualifier for the Team BC and Canada Youth Short Track Championships-West.

Finals for the 1,500-metre race will take place around 3 p.m. on Saturday, while he 2,000- and 3000-metre relays will start at 2:50 p.m. on Sunday.

The public is also invited to watch the competition for free.

To see the full schedule, download the free app Sportity with event code BCST26.