Introduction

Erin McNeice was the dark horse of the 2024 season in the run-up to Paris 2024. Few would have expected to see a new name making finals in both a Lead and Boulder World Cup ahead of the Olympic Qualifier Series, but they certainly knew who Erin was by the time she stepped up to compete in Shanghai - and her two third-place finishes in the OQS marked her out as an exciting new finals contender in Paris. Even within the UK scene, her back-to-back British Lead Climbing Championships victories and Climbing Works International Festival and Plywood Masters wins hadn’t marked her out as an Olympic contender.

From Rodmersham, Erin has lived in multiple places all over the world and followed her dad Carl into the sport. Making one of the most impressive transitions from junior level - where she did not podium in IFSC events - was the result of a brutal training regime which she began last September after qualifying for the OQS, consisting of 6-9 hours per day and one rest day a week. Her hard work paid off: first finals, first podium at the OQS and an Olympic ticket. Equally adept at both Boulder and Lead, and at dynamic coordination and slow, technical movements, Erin is a rare breed in a competition format that rewards consistency across the board and a wide repertoire of skills.

Do not underestimate Erin’s quiet confidence: on the wall, her strength and knowledge of movement and timing speak for themselves. 

Qualification route

Olympic Qualifier Series - 3rd place

Two 3rd places in succession and 3rd overall. Erin’s all-round ability shone in both Boulder and Lead, but her quick tops of complex problems and composure despite her meteoric rise were her most impressive aspects.

Trivia

Erin started climbing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her nickname (and Instagram handle) is Erin McBeast. 

UKC prediction

Finals: but it wouldn’t surprise us if - given she has nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain from the experience - whether she outshines the favourites and makes the podium.