The first major international sport climbing competition in the United States was held in Snowbird, Utah, on June 11 and 12, 1988. Thirty-nine climbers from seven countries competed on an artificial wall, an innovation at the time, built on the facade of The Cliff Lodge hotel. The final featured the top ten men and five women, selected after a day of intense qualifying rounds. <br /><br />In the men's competition, French dominance was complete: Patrick Edlinger won the competition, followed by Tribout and Le Menestrel, who placed second and third, respectively. Didier Raboutou, also from France, was disqualified after the semifinals for touching a prohibited area. Englishman Martin Atkinson finished fourth, while 17-year-old Jason Stern was the top American, ahead of Christian Griffith and Scott Franklin. On the women's side, Catherine Destivelle won the competition after being selected for the finals through video review of the course. She beat Americans Mari Gingery and Lynn Hill, who were also among the finalists. <br /><br />Patrick Edlinger stood out as the only climber to reach the summit of the final wall, confirming his status as a world star ahead of his time despite a two-year hiatus from competition, settling scores with the press, sponsors, and his perceived rivals.
