2026 World Climbing Krakow Speed Climbing: Results and Highlights

From July 3–5, the 2026 World Climbing Krakow Speed Climbing Competition introduced a historic milestone by hosting the first-ever international speed climbing event on a four-lane wall. The expanded format enables the addition of relay races, allowing athletes from the same nation to compete together and creating new opportunities for team success. It also improves competition efficiency by allowing more athletes to climb simultaneously, reducing downtime between races.

As athletes quickly adapted to the new format, fans enjoyed more frequent head-to-head matchups throughout the event. Here’s a closer look at the standout performances, key moments, and final results from the 2026 World Climbing Krakow speed climbing competition.

---

Men’s Speed Final

Unlike previous speed climbing competitions, where athletes raced head-to-head on a two-lane wall, the 2026 World Climbing Krakow speed climbing competition introduced a four-lane wall, allowing four climbers to compete simultaneously. The men’s event began with a 32-athlete knockout bracket, with eight races taking place in the opening round before the field was narrowed to the final four contenders.

The highly anticipated rematch that fans had been waiting for featured America’s Samuel Watson and China’s Zhao Yicheng, who advanced to the final alongside Indonesia’s Raharjati Nursamsa and China’s Chu Shouhong. With four of the world’s fastest climbers on the wall, the race for gold delivered an exciting finish.

Watson put on a spectacular performance, sprinting to victory in a personal-best time of 4.60 seconds to claim the gold medal. Zhao followed closely behind, stopping the clock at 4.69 seconds to earn silver, while Nursamsa and Chu rounded out the final standings in fourth and third place, respectively.

“I’m pretty happy, but you saw my face at the end, I did want a record, but the one-on-one format maybe is a bit better for that.”

Samuel Watson, World Climbing interview

---

Women’s Speed Final

History was made at the 2026 World Climbing Krakow speed climbing competition as America’s Emma Hunt became the first woman to complete the standardized speed route in under six seconds. Hunt clocked a remarkable 5.99-second run in the quarterfinals, setting a new benchmark for the sport.

The battle for the podium was far from over. Hunt advanced to the finals alongside Poland’s Aleksandra Mirosław, Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi, and Poland’s Natalia Kałucka. With all four athletes having previously earned international medals, the final rounds promised an exciting contest for the podium.

Drama unfolded in the semifinals when Mirosław was disqualified after a false start, ending her medal hopes. The result was especially bittersweet, as she had previously announced that the Kraków event would be her final World Climbing international competition. Hunt also encountered misfortune in the medal rounds, slipping early on the wall and ultimately finishing with the bronze medal.

The gold medal came down to Dewi and Kałucka. Dewi surged ahead to stop the clock at 6.54 seconds, claiming the second World Climbing gold medal of her career. Kałucka crossed the finish line in 6.62 seconds to earn silver, capping off an exciting conclusion to the women’s speed climbing competition.

“I wanted to win at this awesome venue [in Innsbruck]. I’m very happy and I hope to keep a winning streak going!”

Neo Suzuki, World Climbing interview

---

Speed Relay Final

The inaugural World Climbing Speed Relay titles belonged to China, as both the Chinese men’s and women’s teams captured the first-ever gold medals in the 2026 World Climbing Krakow speed climbing relay events.

In the men’s final, China’s Long Jianguo and Chu Shouhong claimed gold with a winning time of 11.07 seconds, defeating the United States team of Samuel Watson and Zach Hammer. The American duo looked poised to challenge for the title until Hammer slipped high on the wall, costing valuable time and leaving the team to settle for silver in 11.72 seconds.

Ukraine’s Hryhorii Ilchyshyn and Yaroslav Tkach completed the men’s podium with the bronze medal, finishing ahead of Indonesia’s Raharjati Nursamsa and Antasyafi Robby Al Hilmi.

Speaking after the event, Long reflected on the team’s performance:

“I didn’t feel very good in the individual and mixed relay races. Today everything went well, I felt more comfortable and I’m very happy with this result.”

Long Jianguo, World Climbing interview

China continued its dominance in the women’s relay, where Zhou Yafei and Deng Lijuan secured gold while setting a new world record of 12.89 seconds. Their performance also made history as they became the first women’s team to complete the speed relay in under 13 seconds.

Poland’s sisters Natalia and Aleksandra Kałucka earned the silver medal with a time of 14.00 seconds, while Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi and Rajiah Sallsabillah claimed bronze to round out the inaugural 2026 World Climbing Krakow speed climbing women’s relay podium.

---

Speed Mixed Relay Final

The introduction of the Speed Mixed Relay at the 2026 World Climbing Krakow speed climbing competition marked another historic milestone for the sport. For the first time at an international climbing event, teams consisting of one female and one male athlete competed together, adding a new dynamic to speed climbing.

The United States pairing of Samuel Watson and Emma Hunt made history by becoming the first mixed relay team to break the 11-second barrier. Their combined time of 10.89 seconds secured the inaugural gold medal. Indonesia’s Antasyafi Robby Al Hilmi and Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi earned the silver medal, while China’s Zhou Yafei and Zhao Yicheng claimed bronze after defeating Indonesia’s second mixed relay team in the bronze medal race.

Following the victory, Watson reflected on the significance of winning the inaugural title on the Fourth of July:

“It means a lot to do it on Independence Day. I had to tell her it’s Independence Day, we took it very seriously. That was our best team hype-up moment, so we definitely pulled it off as a team.”

Samuel Watson, World Climbing interview

---

Want to Watch the Event?

Missed the live broadcast of the event? No problem! Watch the full 2026 World Climbing Krakow speed climbing competition on YouTube through the World Climbing channel. The broadcast features complete coverage of the women’s and men’s speed final, speed relay final, and speed mixed relay final, allowing fans to relive the standout moments, impressive display of athleticism, and podium winning performances.

• Men’s and Women’s Speed Final
• Speed Relay Qualifications
• Speed Relay Final
• Speed Mixed Relay Final

---

Follow Us for Upcoming Events

For more information pertaining to the 2026 World Climbing Krakow speed climbing results, location, videos, images, etc., please visit the main event page. Please check out the event page for further details about this event.