Bronze medal at the Paris Olympics for USA’s Sam Watson of Utah in men’s Speed Climbing

In Paris at the 2024 Olympics. Photo: Augie Roepke

PARIS — The world record fell, for the second time in Paris during the 2024 Olympics as USA’s Sam Watson, 18, of Utah set it at 4.75 seconds, then broke it and set it again at 4.74 as he earned the bronze medal on Thursday in Speed Climbing.

In the prelims he set a time of 4.75 then he beat the climber from New Zealand in the elimination rounds on medals day. His sportsmanship was on full display as he shook hands with the climber from China before the semi’s.

China won that round as Watson had the slightest of slips mid-course. It was barely perceptible to the naked eyes of so many spectators watching from Salt Lake City, where he currently resides as a member of USA Climbing – headquartered there.

The rowdy crowd’s favorite from France, going out in the quarterfinals, another 30 year old was up next against young Watson in the climber from Iran for the bronze. That crowd cheered loudly for USA with lots of American flags waving.

The man from Utah raced up the tallest wall in the world, which is open to the public when not hosting the Olympics, with another world record of 4.74 to his competitor from Iran’s 4.88 seconds giving the Utahn the bronze.

The gold and silver medals in the speed discipline of climbing in Paris went to Veddriq Leonardo of Indonesia with a 4.75 and Wu Peng of China with a 4.77 second respectively.

Below is a video from when TownLift caught up with Watson in the months leading up to these, his first Olympics. 

First-time Olympian USA’s Emma Hunt from Atlanta, GA made it into the quarter finals of the speed discipline. Indonesia prevented her from moving on. 

Women’s bronze ended up going to Poland, silver to China, and the gold medal was won by Aleksandra Miroslaw, who got up the wall in a time of 6.10 seconds.

Other American’s who live, work, train and compete in Salt Lake City and who got to got to Paris to represent the United States, but didn’t qualify for the knock-out rounds included Zach Hammer, Piper Kelly, Brook Raboutou, Colin Duffy, and Jesse Grouper.

Men’s and women’s Combined Climbing discipline happens in Paris over the following two days on Friday and Saturday Aug. 9 and 10.