Photo: RNZ
There's no doubt athletes are the stars of any Olympic Games. But many of the 329 medal events at the 2024 Paris Games rely on judges, who are also among the best in the world at what they do.
In New Zealand, the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has the final say on the team of athletes heading to the Games.
But the committee isn't involved in choosing judges and officials. Instead, those decisions are made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international sports federations.
One of the most anticipated new events at the Tokyo Games was sport climbing. There, climbers competed in a unique format combining three disciplines - boulder, lead, and speed climbing.
The format proved controversial, RNZ sports correspondent Dana Johannsen has explained. Bouldering and lead are more aerobic disciplines, with an emphasis on problem solving. The explosive, vertical scramble requires a very different skill set.
For the 2024 Games, the IOC allocated climbing an additional medal, allowing for a separate speed climbing event. This was fortunate timing for Sarah Tetzlaff and Julian David, New Zealand's first Olympic speed climbing representatives. (Tetzlaff placed thirteenth and David eighth.)
Less publicised was the fact that one of the sport climbing judges, Nelson Lam, was from New Zealand.
"We were equally proud and excited to hear of [Lam's] selection as a judge for the Paris Olympic Games," said former Climbing New Zealand President Richard Waldin, who stepped down in May but was involved in the early stages of Lam's selection.
"It is a great reward for him and a true recognition of the work and passion he has put into being an official."
Aotearoa was also represented among judges and officials involved in sailing, surfing, hockey, and football.
RNZ interviewed Lam before the competition, who described the Games as a "once-in-a-lifetime" event. The below conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in sport climbing?
I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and moved to Auckland with my family in July 2021. I started climbing 30 years ago. I still climb one to two times a week.
I have been an international judge of sport climbing since 2006, participated in numerous competitions, including world cups, world youth championships, the China Open, the World Games 2022, New Zealand Sport Climbing competitions, the Olympic Qualifier Series and now the Olympic Games.
How did you get selected to judge at the Olympic Games?
Frankly speaking, I was surprised to be selected. I'm very grateful to the IFSC [International Federation of Sport Climbing] and the selection panel.
As far as I know, the selection panel considered several factors such as previous performance, understanding of climbing movement, ability to handle difficult situations, maintain fair conduct, work with others, and so on.
What does it mean to you to be selected?
The Olympic Games can be considered a once-in-a-lifetime event. I had never dreamed of attending. More important to me though is witnessing the increasing popularity of sport climbing.
I hope that all the participants (athletes, officials, and spectators) are satisfied with the event management and particularly the fairness in Paris.
And it's very exciting that para-climbing will be at the Paralympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Wing Leung (Nelson) Lam, from New Zealand, was one of three international sport climbing judges at the Paris Olympic Games. Photo: Supplied
What competitions will you be scoring?
All three disciplines: Speed, lead, and boulder.
There is a jury president, and three international judges (I'm one of three). Together, we manage a group of national judges to provide judging services, including scoring, compliance, and handling technical incidents and appeals.
The scoring looks complicated ...
Indeed. Speed and lead are simpler than bouldering. Speed and lead have a few, specific rules, but are essentially about climbing time and height, respectively.
The rules of bouldering have been simplified over time. But they're not always clear-cut. [In bouldering, athletes climb 4.5-metre-high walls without roles, in a limited time and in the fewest attempts possible.] Determining the 'control of a hold', for example, sometimes falls into an area of uncertainty. In these situations, it's essential to have experienced judges.
We will analyse movements with assistance from video playbacks, get opinions from other judges and route setters, and compare similar, previous cases. A good understanding of the rules is very important.
Do you and other judges stay in the Olympic Village? Are you kept separate from the athletes?
No, all judges and other staff stay in a hotel near the venue. But we're not kept separate from the athletes. Often, we have known each other for years. But relationships are appropriate and professional.
What do the Paris Games mean for sport climbing in New Zealand?
This is the first time New Zealand has sport climbing representatives at the Olympic Games [Tetzlaff and David]. From here, I hope the sport will grow in popularity and success.