Rope Climbing

Don't you remember climbing a rope as a little kid? Maybe you would swing on the rope for fun? Climbing rope is a very useful and functional movement. This was an Olympic Gymnastic event at one time, but was removed from that venue after the 1932 Games. In the United States, competitive climbing on both 20 ft and 25 ft, 1.5 inch diameter natural fiber ropes was sanctioned by both the AAU and the NCAA until the early 1960s, when these organizations dropped the events. As a result, intercollegiate competition in the USA disappeared at this time. In Olympic Games held in the USA, competitors climbed a 25 ft (7.62m) rope, but when post-1896 Games were held in Europe, an 8m (26.3 ft) rope was used. In almost all contests, athletes climbed for speed, starting from a seated position on the floor and using only the hands and arms. Kicking the legs in a kind of "stride" was normally permitted. However, at the 1896 Olympic Games, competitors were ranked by both time and style (holding an L-position) on a rope so long (15 meters) that some climbers did not reach the top and were therefore excluded. In all succeeding Olympics through the 1932 Games, competitors were judged strictly by time of ascent on a shorter rope.
From Wikipedia