By- Mikaela Aquino
18-year-old American climber Sam Watson set a new world record in speed climbing with a time of 4.74 seconds during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Despite setting the world record, Watson won an Olympic bronze medal due to slipping in the semifinal heat, where he finished in 4.93 seconds and lost to China's Peng Wu.
Speed climbing determines seeding and world records based on time, but Olympic medals are awarded based on head-to-head races.
In the bronze medal heat, Watson broke his own world record by 1/100 of a second, achieving a time of 4.74 seconds.
Wedrik Leonardo of Indonesia won Olympic gold with a time of 4.75 seconds in the final, just 1/100th slower than Watson's world record.
Watson admitted that a small mistake in the semi-finals cost him around 0.2 seconds, which was crucial in a head-to-head race.
Watson expressed no regrets, remained positive and focused on his goal of lowering the world record by 4.6 seconds in the future.