Poland's "Spiderwoman" Aleksandra Mirosław became the first woman to win the Olympic gold medal in speed climbing, achieving a record time of 6.10 seconds, finishing 0.08 seconds faster than China's Deng Lijuan, who won silver with 6.18 seconds.
Speed climbing, a discipline where competitors race up a 15-meter wall to hit a button at the top, made its Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games. Elite climbers cover the height in under 5 seconds for men and 6 seconds for women, with winning times often decided by thousandths of a second.
During the quarterfinals and semifinals, Mirosław broke her own world record twice, clocking 6.06 seconds on the 15-metre wall, surpassing her previous record as the top seed in Paris.
At 30 years old, Mirosław has accumulated numerous trophies and titles, including world championships and records, with her trajectory in breaking world records comparable to Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis.
Aleksandra Kalucka, Mirosław's compatriot and Natalia Kalucka's twin sister, won the bronze medal with a time of 6.53 seconds.
Sam Watson of the US won the men's Speed Climbing gold medal with a time of 4.75 seconds.
The separation of speed climbing from lead and bouldering in Paris benefited specialists like Mirosław, as the disciplines require different skills. Speed Climbing became a stand-alone medal sport after being initially combined with Boulder and Lead Climbing in Tokyo 2020.
The International Olympic Committee recognized sport climbing's appeal, leading to its inclusion earlier than expected, in 2024 instead of 2028.
Despite her success, Mirosław expressed a desire to continually improve, remain competitive, and push her limits further in speed climbing, as she doesn't know her full potential.
Speed Climbing combines power, agility, precision, and specific wall and route requirements. Mistakes like missing a grip can be costly, causing climbers to lose medal chances due to extremely small margins between winning and losing.
The sport proved to be a popular and exhilarating addition to the Olympic program, captivating younger audiences with its fast-paced and intense nature, and is expected to continue in future Olympic Games.
American Emma Hunt, considered a favorite to challenge Mirosław for the gold, slipped in the quarterfinals and was eliminated from the competition.
Mirosław described her winning moment, standing on the podium in first place and hearing her national anthem, as amazing.
Climbing became an Olympic sport at the Tokyo 2020 Games, embodying the Olympic motto of "citius, altius, fortius" (faster, higher, stronger). It is a non-controversial addition to the Olympics.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: NBC News, BBC , USA Today, CNN, Barron's, CBC, France 24, Irish Times, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Nine, Straits Times, Excélsior, La Prensa, Tortoise Media, Antara News, Beritaja, NBC Miami, SuperSport.