The names you hear most often in English-language sport climbing coverage include Matt Groom, a longtime IFSC commentator, and Shauna Coxsey, a former elite climber who has worked as an analyst. The exact answer to “who are the sport climbing commentators” depends on the event, broadcaster, country, and feed you are watching.
This guide explains which voices are commonly associated with climbing broadcasts, what their roles involve, and why the lineup changes. You will also learn how to identify commentators for a specific competition and how to follow the scoring when commentary moves quickly.
who are the sport climbing commentators?
There is no single commentary team for every sport climbing event. Broadcasters appoint their own presenters, play-by-play announcers, and expert analysts. A live stream may also use an international feed that differs from the coverage on a local television channel.
Two names viewers may encounter in English-language coverage are Matt Groom and Shauna Coxsey. Groom is strongly associated with IFSC event commentary. Coxsey is a former British competition climber and Olympian whose knowledge makes her a natural fit for expert analysis. Their appearance together, or separately, depends on the event and rights holder.
That distinction matters: a familiar commentator is not necessarily assigned to every World Cup, championship, or Olympic broadcast. The most reliable answer for a particular session is the crew listed by the broadcaster or event organizer for that specific feed.
Why commentator lineups change from event to event
Sport climbing is presented by different organizations and networks around the world. The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) oversees its international competition circuit, while Olympic coverage is produced and distributed through Olympic rights holders. National broadcasters may add their own presenters or offer an alternate commentary track.
That can result in several versions of the same competition. One stream might use an experienced climbing commentator, another might pair a general sports announcer with a former competitor, and a television broadcast may show only selected moments. Some event pages also publish a clean feed with little or no commentary.
| Coverage type | Who may be on the microphone | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| IFSC event stream | International commentators and, depending on the event, climbing specialists | Following World Cup rounds and event details |
| Olympic broadcast | National network announcers, analysts, or an international feed | Watching a country’s coverage and athlete stories |
| Highlights or recap | Presenter or narrator, sometimes with recorded athlete interviews | Getting the result and key moments quickly |
| Uncommentated or alternate stream | No regular live commentary, or a different audio track | Watching attempts without continuous explanation |
These are general patterns, not fixed assignments. A commentator’s role and availability can change between qualification, semifinal, and final sessions, even at the same venue.
What Matt Groom and Shauna Coxsey bring to coverage
Matt Groom: live event narration
Groom is known to many international viewers as a voice of IFSC climbing coverage. A play-by-play commentator describes what is happening as it happens: whose turn it is, how an attempt is progressing, and what a result means for the standings. In a fast-moving round, this narration helps viewers track athletes and attempts.
Climbing commentary can involve several athletes competing in close succession, with different routes or problems and changing scores. A commentator needs to keep names, order, and results clear while still explaining the action. That is especially useful for viewers who are new to competition climbing.
Shauna Coxsey: insight from a former competitor
Coxsey competed at the highest level and represented Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics. An analyst with that background can explain choices that are hard to see from a wide camera angle: why an athlete pauses, what makes a hold awkward, or how a climber might manage effort on a demanding sequence.
Expert commentary adds context, but it is not the same as live narration. The analyst may interpret tactics or technique while the play-by-play voice keeps the audience oriented. Not every broadcast includes both roles, and the title “analyst” can vary by network.
Other former climbers and presenters may appear on specific broadcasts. Avoid assuming that a well-known athlete is on the commentary team simply because they are interviewed, serve as a studio guest, or appear in a promotional video.
How to find the commentators for the event you are watching
If you need the exact names for a particular competition, use the event and broadcast information rather than relying on a general list. Commentary teams can be announced close to the competition, and streaming services do not always display crew details prominently.
- Identify the event and session. Note the competition, date, discipline, and round. A lead climbing final may have a different crew from a combined event or a qualification session.
- Check the official event page. Look for broadcast, schedule, or media information from the event organizer. It may name the rights holder or link to an official stream.
- Check your local broadcaster’s listing. Search the broadcaster’s event page or program guide for the session. This is often the best place to confirm a national broadcast’s presenters and analysts.
- Look at the stream’s audio and description. A platform may label its feed as English commentary, local commentary, world feed, or no commentary. The listing can clarify which version you have.
- Verify during the opening segment. Broadcasters often introduce the on-air team at the start. If you join late, rewind to the opening or check the program information.
Searching by the event name plus “commentators” can help, but confirm that a result matches the same year, round, country, and platform. An old Olympic roster or a World Cup lineup may not apply to the stream currently playing.
What the commentators explain during a sport climbing event
Commentators do more than identify who is climbing. They help explain the discipline, the rules, and the stakes of each attempt. That context is useful because sport climbing includes distinct formats, and the scoring is not identical across them.
Bouldering
In bouldering, athletes attempt short, challenging routes called problems without a rope. Commentary may draw attention to a hold, a difficult movement, or a zone hold partway up the problem. A top means completing the problem; a zone is an intermediate scoring target. The number of attempts needed can affect an athlete’s ranking, so a top on the first try can matter more than an identical top reached later.
When an athlete falls, the attempt is not automatically a failure for the entire round. Climbers may rest and try again within the rules and time allowed. A good commentator will distinguish a controlled attempt from a completed top and explain what the athlete still needs to do.
Lead climbing
In lead, athletes climb a tall route while attached to a rope and clip into protection points along the wall. The result depends on how high an athlete gets, with the highest controlled hold generally determining the achieved position. If climbers reach the same hold, time or other round-specific rules can become relevant.
Commentary can explain why a climber is clipping the rope, resting on the wall, or choosing a particular sequence. A fall ends that attempt, so pacing and conserving energy matter. The route is unseen by athletes before their turn in many competition formats, making observation and problem-solving part of the challenge.
Speed climbing
Speed is a head-to-head race on a standardized route. The goal is to reach the top faster than the opponent, or record the faster valid time in a qualifying format. Commentary focuses on reaction, movement, timing, and whether a slip or false start affects the result.
Because speed races can finish in seconds, viewers can miss an important detail if they look away. The replay and official timing graphic are useful for confirming who won and whether both athletes recorded valid runs.
Combined events
Some major competitions combine disciplines or use a format that brings more than one climbing style into a final. The scoring method can depend on the event and the rules in force. Do not assume that a format used at one Olympic Games or championship is still the format for every later competition.
Listen for the broadcast to explain how the disciplines contribute to the standings. If the explanation is brief, check the event’s published rules or results page. The scoreboard is the final guide to rank; a dramatic climb alone does not always tell you who is leading overall.
How to follow the action when commentary is limited
Some streams provide minimal explanation, and even experienced commentators cannot describe every movement. A few simple habits make a session easier to follow.
- Keep the event order visible. The start list or running order helps you know who is next and which attempts remain.
- Watch the score graphic. It may show tops, zones, attempts, height, time, or a combined ranking, depending on the discipline.
- Separate an attempt from a result. A climber reaching a high point is not necessarily the winner. The rules determine how that performance compares with other athletes.
- Use replays for close moments. A replay can show whether a hold was controlled, whether a climber clipped correctly, or how a race finish unfolded.
- Check the official results after the round. Results confirm placements and resolve confusion caused by provisional on-screen graphics.
A useful point many new viewers miss is that the loudest or most dramatic moment is not always the decisive one. In bouldering, attempts can separate athletes with the same number of tops. In lead, a small difference in height may decide a round. In speed, an official time and valid run matter more than the impression created by the camera angle.
Common mistakes when identifying climbing commentators
Assuming one team covers every broadcast
There is no universal roster for all sport climbing. A name associated with IFSC coverage may not be on an Olympic network broadcast, and a national broadcaster’s team may not appear on the international stream. Always match the commentator information to the platform you are using.
Confusing a commentator with a presenter or reporter
A presenter may introduce the program, a reporter may conduct interviews, and an analyst may explain tactics. All may appear on screen, but only some provide the live climbing call. If you want the person describing each attempt, look for the play-by-play or commentary team specifically.
Treating old lineups as current
Commentary assignments change. A list from a past Olympics, a previous season, or a different country’s network is not proof of the current lineup. Verify the event date and broadcaster before repeating a name as confirmed.
Assuming every stream has the same commentary
Streaming platforms may carry alternate audio, regional coverage, or an international feed. If you hear a different team than expected, check the audio settings and event listing before concluding that the broadcast information is wrong.
Quick answer by viewer situation
If you are looking for the familiar English-language voices, Matt Groom is a key name associated with IFSC commentary, and Shauna Coxsey is a former elite climber who has contributed expertise to climbing coverage. For a specific Olympic, World Cup, or championship session, the actual commentators depend on the broadcaster and the feed.
If you only need to understand the event, focus on the rules and result graphics as much as the names. Commentary teams can change, but the distinction between play-by-play, expert analysis, and official scoring remains useful across broadcasts.
The short answer to “who are the sport climbing commentators” is that Matt Groom is a prominent voice in IFSC coverage, while Shauna Coxsey is among the former competitors associated with expert analysis. There is no permanent team for every event, so the broadcaster and stream determine who you hear.
For a specific session, check the event listing and your local broadcaster’s program details, then confirm the audio feed when coverage begins. Keep the official scoreboard in view too; it explains the result even when the commentary lineup changes.