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Not many climbers can say they still don’t have little fear of falling off a cliff. That’s the case for sports climbing champion, Giga Jankhoteli. Growing up in Georgia – the country – Giga found his calling at 16, scaling rocks in his hometown of Lentkhi, Georgia. Once this passion took hold, Giga was hooked. While attending the Georgian Technical University in Tbilisi and pursuing a degree in Business Engineering, Giga joined the Georgia National Climbing Federation.
Giga has three disciplines where he dominates: speed climbing, hard climbing, and bouldering. Speed climbing is exactly how it sounds. The goal is to climb a route to the top as quickly as possible, usually against another competitor. Speed climbing is usually done with predetermined routes and indoors on rock walls. Hard climbing is technically difficult climbs. 5.2 is considered a hard climb. Bouldering is climbing without a harness or ropes and can be done indoors or out.
Giga is the Georgian champion of fast climbing (speed), hard climbing, and bouldering. Interestingly, Giga is also a champion chess player, having won several tournaments, and even participating in the World Chess Championships and World Cups. It makes one pause and consider his choice of degrees. The choice of this field can’t be incidental. It is more a strategic decision that mirrored the analytical skills he honed while navigating complex climbing routes or chess moves.
Balancing his two worlds required discipline and time management, and these skills came in handy when Giga became a coach for the Georgian National Climbing Federation from 2018 to 2022. His disciplined approach gave new climbers a strong foundation on which to build their skills. Integrating problem-solving skills and strategic planning with the quick decision-making and risk assessments crucial to climbing builds a better foundation than strength alone. Each move has to be calculated, each decision weighed with precision.
Giga’s dual expertise allowed him to view coaching from a whole-body perspective, considering not just the physical training but also the organizational and strategic aspects crucial for team success. These skills can be seen in other professional fields, ones that rely on climbing ability to succeed. Namely emergency services and search and rescue. In 2020, Giga worked as an athlete and coach for the organization CLIMB.GE, which supports recreational climbing, as well as training first responders and search and rescue, who rely on climbing to do their jobs well.
From April 2022 to February 2023, Giga moved to Italy, where he trained with the Italian National Team under Stanislao Zama, the National Team coach. Now back in Tbilisi, Giga continues to pass on the skills and techniques he has honed over the years, inspiring the next generation of climbers. This is one champion who climbs great heights with zero fear, both literally and metaphorically.
About the Author
Harry Golden spends his time writing about sports, the Olympics, and his collection of baseball cards. He works as a freelance writer from his home in Ohio where he lives with his wife and daughter.
