Introduction: American teenager Sam

Le Bourget, Paris

CNN – As of Tuesday, the 18-year-old
Although Texas can lay claim to being the fastest Olympian of all time,
At least when moving vertically.

When Sam Watson set a world record of 4.75
seconds on the outskirts of Paris, where a temporary
Olympic climbing wall was being built,

he achieved a unique honor in the sport.
“I think 4.75 seconds is the fastest time in
an Olympic event,” Watson said. It’s a cool title,
so I don’t think anyone can take it away from me. “

For those watching fast-paced events, temporary
distractions can be expensive. Participants climb
the 15 meter high wall in about 5 seconds and climb
a series of ropes to reach the red bell at the top of the track.

Lightning reactions and fast-twitch muscle

Lightning reactions and fast-twitch muscle fibers are essential in this competition, but a momentary slip or lack of concentration can eliminate an athlete from the race.

Sport climbing, which combines three disciplines: speed, bouldering and medal-winning, sparked controversy when it celebrated its first Olympics three years ago in Tokyo.

Speed ​​climbing is a skill in itself and it is almost impossible to master all three skills. Adam Ontraček, widely considered one of the best climbers in the world, called the previous plan a “circus” because it tried to record the process of climbing the wall as quickly as possible.

The format of the Paris Games has changed, and one of the medal events is speed climbing and the other is bouldering.

The men’s sprint final will take place in Le Bourget on Thursday and the women’s final on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslav broke the women’s world record twice with times of 6.24 seconds and 6.06 seconds.

local climbing gym where his talent

He was soon taken to a local climbing gym where his talent was obvious and he progressed quickly. In 2022, at the age of 16, he became the youngest athlete to win a medal at the World Championships and set the American sprint record the following year.

With her victory at the Pan American Games, Watson secured a spot on the U.S. team for the Paris Olympics and advanced to the final as a gold contender.

About taking part in the Olympics, he said: “Perhaps it was one of the best experiences of my life.”

“Being a part of Team USA and meeting my childhood idol is incredible…Being in this village and meeting all these people was a great experience for me and I’m really enjoying it.”

In addition to rock climbing, Watson is an avid chess player and enjoys learning languages. Among them are the Indonesians, home to many fast climbers, two of whom, Leonardo and Rahmat Adi Molionu, briefly held the Olympic record at the Paris qualifier.

That is until Watson hit the blink-and-miss marker that sent the rest of the competition and the world following her lead. He reached the top eight, fell slowly and celebrated by hitting the ground.