The 2024 Paris games have been all about making history. In recent events, Olympian Sam Watson set the world record for the fastest time in any sport.
The 18-year-old rock climber triumphed in the speed climbing event with a time of 4.75 seconds, which has not been achieved in any other sport. In this sport, he is required to use a lot of upper and lower body strength to reach the top point, so a lot of practice is needed to succeed. Although he set a groundbreaking record climbing the 15-meter wall, he claimed he had a better time in practice. Per CNN, he shared, “I want to win these races and I want to get to the top of the podium…But I did go a lot faster in practice and I did have the idea that it was possible [to get a world record].”
Sam added, “I told myself, if I bring the athlete that I have become to the Olympic Games, it is very possible I can break a world record on this stage in front of this crowd, and it definitely was a really cool life experience.”
This year marks Sam’s first time at the Olympics, making it a historical event with his victorious win. As he spoke to the outlet, he recalled his experience at the Paris games. “I think it’s probably one of my favorite life experiences,” he said about competing at the Olympics. “It’s just incredible to be a member of Team USA, to see some of my childhood idols, to be in this Village and to meet all these people – it means a lot to me. The Olympics is an incredible experience, I really am soaking it all in.”
As the national team referred to him as “Speedy Sam” on social media, the fast climber shared on Instagram, “To go out there and be myself, to bring the competitive spirit that I’ve built with the help of everyone in my life. To be unique, to create something new, to showcase this beautiful sport to the world.”
