Welcome to the CEC 2025 Youth National Team Page!
The aim of this page is to provide you with information about events and preparations leading up to and during Youth World Championships.
As we gather more information, we will update this page. For now, if you have any questions, please email both Andrei and Regan at andreialexandermandzuk@gmail.com and regan@bolderclimbing.com
Youth World Championships – Helsinki 2025
This summer, the IFSC is hosting the 2025 Youth World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, from July 28th through August 3rd. An info sheet has been released by IFSC here. The schedule can be summarized as:
- July 28th through 30th – Boulder
- July 31st through Aug 2nd – Lead
- August 3rd – Speed
Town Hall
CEC held a preliminary town hall information meeting on May 5th, 2025. The meeting recording and slides are available for review.
Youth World Championship Coaches
CEC has put together a passionate and experienced coaching team to support athletes both in Canada, leading up to the YWC and on the ground at the event. The team consists of two Co-Head coaches and four assistant coaches.
- Andrei Mandzuk (BC), Co-Head Coach
- Regan Kennedy (AB), Co-Head Coach
- Frédéric Desgranges (QC), Travelling Assistant Coach
- Liz Maffett (ON), Travelling Assistant Coach
- Alistair Jensen (BC), Domestic Assistant Coach
- Olivier Dorion-Thériault (QC), Domestic Assistant Coach
Coaches Mission
The YWC coaches strive to establish a culture of trust and belonging among all athletes and equip them to succeed at YWCH and beyond by:
- Enabling all athletes to have a safe and positive experience at YWC.
- Support athletes from all provinces in their preparation for the YWC.
- Continue to develop a team culture based on trust and a sense of belonging.
2025 Youth National Team – Selection Process
As per the CEC Youth National Team selection policy, the CEC Youth National Team for speed, boulder and lead will be selected at the speed youth nationals, boulder youth nationals and lead youth nationals, respectively. The top 3 Canadian Citizens per discipline per gender per age category will be invited to attend the 2025 Youth World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, while athletes in positions 4 to 6 will be offered an alternate position.
Timeline of Invitations:
- Invitation emails will be sent on May 21st
- Alternates (4-6 placed athletes) will also receive an email on May 21st confirming their alternate position
- To accept the invitation on the team, athletes will be required to complete the following by May 26th:
- Fill out an Intake Form
- Paid the Team Fee Deposit of $650
- Complete the team uniform sizing questionnaire
- Completion of other Team Requirements, such as Safe Sport and Anti-Doping Training, will be mandatory to confirm position on the team
- To decline the invitation on the team, please reply to the invitation email promptly upon reception
2025 Youth National Team – Training Camps
Coaches are preparing Training Camps for the 2025 National Team Members. These training opportunities will be extended to athletes outside the National Team. These training opportunities are not mandatory, but we hope as many athletes as possible can attend and benefit from them. More information will be provided shortly,
- June 28 through July 1st at Richmond Oval – boulder, lead and speed
- This camp will be for all athletes in the Top 12 from discipline-based National Championships, in categories Youth B (U17), Youth A (U19), and Junior (U21)
- There will be a cost associated with this camp in the range of $350 per attendee
- We will do our best to make this camp affordable to travelling athletes via accommodation share and a billet system
- July 15th through 23rd, European staging camp in Munich and Innsbruck for boulder, lead, and speed athletes
- This camp will be for Team Canada members only
- Exceptions may be made for athletes in the top 6
- There will be a cost associated with this camp in the range of $1200 – $1650 (this would be in addition to the cost associated with the athlete’s time in Helsinki)
Arrivals and Departures
Please note, the CEC policy is for athletes to arrive in Helsinki 5 days prior to their event. Please see Schedule A below for those athlete attending only the YWCh and Schedule B for those attending the European staging camp below for a visual. Click on the image to enlarge.
Athlete Preparation and Support
The National Team Coaches will be arriving in Helsinki on July 23rd. Athletes will be required to travel to Helsinki as follows:
- with their parent/guardian; or
- with a parent-approved chaperone; or
- with another athlete’s family.
- As this is a Youth Program, we do not recommend that athletes travel alone. However, if parents consent to individual travel, a letter to CEC will be required.
During any group activity, training or during the event itself, the athletes will be under the supervision of the National Team Coaches.
Opportunities to train boulder, lead and speed will be organized along with team activities and dinners in Helsinki in the days leading up to all events.
Unfortunately, a speed wall may not be available for training in Helsinki, or there may only be limited access provided. Speed athletes may have to travel to train on a speed wall; details are still in progress and will be discussed with the speed team directly.
Coach and Parental Involvement
We welcome parent and personal coach involvement.
Parents can be involved in two ways:
- If parents would like to help organize team dinners or group activities, that would be greatly appreciated.
- If parents would like to become CEC certified chaperones (details for certification below) they could support National Team Coaches during training/staging. To know more about the requirements, please email kraig@climbingcanada.ca
If a personal coach is planning on attending the YWC, they must inform the Head Coaches. CEC will not be able to provide an accreditation for the event. Athletes are under the care of the CEC coaches, and may not leave the competition with their personal coach, unless previously approved by the Head Coaches and the CEC.
Finances
CEC will be covering the cost of the IFSC License and Registration. CEC will coordinate booking the Team accommodation in Helsinki.
Fees will be invoiced/paid as follows:
| Expenses | Method |
| Coaches’ Expense (flight, accommodation, ground transportation, per diem) | Included in Team Fees |
| Athlete Flight | Booked and paid for by athletes individually |
| Athlete Accommodation | CEC to book and invoice to athletes |
| Athlete On-Site Expenses (food, transportation, souvenirs, etc.) | Paid for by athlete individually |
| Group Expenses (training sessions, tourism activities, etc.) | Paid by coaches and invoiced to athletes |
To help manage Financial Expectations, here is the AVERAGE cost of the past 3 editions, excluding onsite expenses such as meals and ground travel:
| China 2024 | |
| Average Deposit | $ 434.38 |
| Average Accommodation | $ 556.12 |
| Average Final CEC Invoice | $ 399.08 |
| Flight – average | $ 3,839.76 |
| Total per athlete | $ 5,229.34 |
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| Seoul 2023 | |
| Average Deposit | $ 358.75 |
| Average Accommodation | $ 1,172.34 |
| Average Final CEC Invoice | $ 49.32 |
| Flight – average | $ 3,077.54 |
| Total per athlete | $ 4,657.95 |
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| Dallas 2022 | |
| Average Deposit / Final Invoice | $ 541.13 |
| Average Accommodation | $ 738.38 |
| Flight – average | $ 1,245.00 |
| Total per athlete | $ 2,524.51 |
Entry Visa and Passport Requirements
Canadian travelers do not require an entry visa for Finland or the Schengen area. However, passports must be valid for three months beyond the intended entry date.
Competition Venue
The competition for Lead & Speed will be held at KiipeilyAreena Ristikko Ajomiehentie 1 00390 Helsinki, FINLAND https://www.kiipeilyareena.com, while Boulder will take place at Helsingin Kiipeilykeskus Erätie 3 00730 Helsinki https://www.kiipeilykeskus.com.
Acclimatization
A generally accepted rule of thumb is that our bodies require one day per time zone to adjust to new time zones. As such, we require athletes to be on the ground at least five days before the start of their discipline. CEC is researching training facilities and will work to plan activities to help with acclimatization.
IFSC Athlete Licenses
Participation in this event requires an IFSC athlete license. CEC applies for these licenses on behalf of each athlete and coach. The process requires athletes to confirm the license via email. An automatically generated email prompting you to confirm your IFSC license will come from noreply@results.info. If you have any problems confirming your license, contact Kraig Devlin at kraig@climbingcanada.ca. CEC pays the cost of this license.
Uniforms
Each athlete will receive a free uniform kit, including competition tops and bottoms, along with a track jacket and pants. Athletes must follow the new IFSC Uniform Code and wear only pre-approved CEC team apparel. Athletes must complete the uniform sizing form found here and may apply personal sponsor logos according to CEC’s 2025 season Uniform Sponsorship Policy. Sponsor logos must be submitted for review before June 4th.
Athletes are required to:
- wear the designated competition tops (T-shirt or tank top) and bottoms (shorts or tights) during competition
- wear team jacket during designated team activities (i.e. opening or closing ceremonies, on podium, official team photos, and other designated times), as communicated by CEC Staff.
Athletes may trade uniforms AFTER they are finished competing.
