Competition climbing has been around since before the Olympics. Granted, I've only been to gym competitions and Triple Crown down here in the southeast, but the community at these competitions is very friendly.
I think part of the competitive, "merciless" spirit at the Olympics is because it's on a global stage, but it's also because of the presteige of the Olympic Games.
It is a bit disappointing to hear that Ondra is somewhat bitter about the competition, but I hope and expect that that spirit won't trickle down to local comps or broader climbing culture
