Barcelona's GRAVITEO festival draws climbers, skaters and duathletes

The GRAVITEO urban‑sports festival took place at the Circuit de Barcelona‑Catalunya, combining a World Climbing Championship boulder semifinal, the European Speed Climbing Cup, skate‑boarding vert, scooter, Nordic walking and a duathlon. Spanish climbers Geila Macià and Hugo Martín qualified for the final rounds, joining athletes from France, Italy, Israel, Slovenia and other nations.

President of the Spanish climbing federation Bernat Clarella described the event as "ha sido un gran evento, un espacio donde poner en presencia todo nuestro potencial de escaladores" and said it helped internationalise the FEDME and give Spanish athletes a home‑ground platform. Sports secretary Abel Garcia called the festival "muy positiva" and a "gran oportunidad para acercar deportes" that are usually less visible.

Despite temperatures around 35 °C, large crowds attended the competitions, which also featured an Iberdrola Skate Series vert final, a Spanish scooter championship, and a duathlon that saw Pau Capdevila win the opening stage. The festival highlighted the growing popularity of urban and Olympic‑style sports among young people in Catalonia.