Sir Chris Bonington raises the Olympic flag on Scafell Pike's summit

Climbing moved a step closer to getting a foothold on the route to Olympic acceptance.

The International Olympic Committee’s executive board placed sportclimbing on a shortlist of eight sports for consideration for the 2020 games.

The British Mountaineering Council’s chief executive Dave Turnbull gave the news the thumbs-up. He said: “We welcome the news that sportclimbing is in with a chance of becoming an Olympic sport.

“This is a great opportunity to put climbing on the world stage and an exciting prospect for the British Climbing Team which continues to go from strength to strength.

Dave Turnbull: 'great opportunity'

“The BMC very much supports the International Federation of Sport Climbing as they take the bid forward. We’ll be discussing this further with the Sports Minister Hugh Robertson later this year when he hosts a reception for the climbing team in Westminster.”

A final decision will be made by the IOC in 2013 when it meets in Buenos Aires.

Other sports under consideration are karate, baseball, softball, squash, roller sports, wakeboard and wushu, a martial art.

Sportclimbing takes place on both indoor walls and on outdoor rock routes that have permanent bolts and anchors fixed in place. It is distinguished from traditional climbing, in which participants place their own protection in rock features and remove them as they climb.

The BMC said it only supported Olympic sport climbing on artificial structures.

Three years ago, eminent mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington predicted climbing could become an Olympic sport. Speaking to grough on the ascent of England’s highest mountain Scafell Pike to celebrate the UK taking over as the next host of the games, he agreed climbing would make an Olympic spectacle.

The originator of the modern games, Baron de Coubertin, envisioned it as an Olympic sport. Sir Chris said in August 2008: “Climbing is a very broad church and there is, of course, competition climbing.

“And it’s very active and very healthy and it’s great to watch. I know the British Mountaineering Council and the UIAA, the international climbing body, have pushed for competitive climbing. So, from that point of view, it could certainly become one.”