Introduction

Campbell, who started climbing when he was just eight years old, was top seed from the Oceania region to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, only for Covid-19 to cut short his efforts at qualifying, so it’s no wonder that finally getting that Olympic ticket meant so much to him. 

In addition to being his country’s top combined competition climber, Campbell is well-known for using his position to speak out about the aspects of climbing - and life - that he feels strongly about. From bias in routesetting, to eating disorders in climbing, to the protection of rock climbing areas that are sacred to indigenous Australians, Campbell is one of the sport’s most candid and articulate athletes, and he’s as comfortable breaking down a route as a commentator as he is on the wall.

Campbell’s 2023 has seen him make great strides, with more consistent performances in Lead especially rewarding him with two consecutive World Cup semi-finals. On top of that, his bouldering seems to have improved significantly over the last year. If he can continue to bring his bouldering ability closer to his lead climbing ability, then we might yet see him nipping at the heels of the top 10.

Qualification route

IFSC Oceania Qualifier Melbourne 2023: 1st Place (Boulder & Lead)

Campbell overcame a stressful Boulder round to top out the Lead route and claim the golden ticket for Oceania.

Trivia

Campbell is coached by British 9a+ climber Buster Martin.

UKC prediction

20th - 15th place

Campbell has made semi-finals before in the Lead portion of the competition, so he may well surprise some people there. Unfortunately, his bouldering isn’t yet on the same level, so we see it pulling him down to a finish somewhere around the 15th mark.