Yesterday’s males’s velocity climbing comp occasion on the Paris Olympics was one of the crucial thrilling velocity comps in latest reminiscence. The primary-ever velocity climbing Olympic medals had been awarded, the velocity world report time was damaged, and 5 out of the eight heats produced sub-five-second races. Veddriq Leonardo of Indonesia took gold – the primary for his nation on the Paris Olympics – China’s Wu Peng earned silver, and Group USA’s Sam Watson gained bronze.
Within the quarter ultimate, Watson bested Julian David of New Zealand, Wu beat Matteo Zurloni of Italy, Leonardo defeated Bassa Mawem of France, and Iran’s Reza Alipour Shenazandifard outraced Kazakhstan’s Amir Maimuratov. Wu and Zurloni’s race was extremely shut. Wu beat Zurloni by simply two one-thousand’s of a second – 4.997 to 4.995.
The 2 semi-final heats had been each sub-five-second races. Watson had an early slip-up however regained momentum rapidly. It wasn’t sufficient although, with Wu outracing him 4.85 to 4.93. Within the different warmth, Leonardo beat Alipour Shenazandifard 4.78 to 4.84. Leonardo’s time was near Watson’s world velocity report of 4.75, which he established earlier within the week through the velocity seeding spherical.
Within the small ultimate, Watson had a flawless race, as soon as once more breaking the world velocity report with a time of 4.74 seconds. The race earned him the bonze, leaving Alipour Shenazandifard in fourth. “I’ve no regrets,” stated Watson after the comp. “I don’t assume I made any mistake so far as the enter I gave as an athlete. Pace climbing is a really low-margin-for-error sport and I used to be up towards some unbelievable athletes. So, no regrets. I’m actually happy with Wu, and Veddriq who superior to the rostrum with me. Re-setting one other world report additionally means quite a bit.”
Within the ultimate, each Leonardo and Wu put up private bests, with Leonardo popping out forward by two one-hundredths of a second – 4.75 to 4.77. Leonardo’s time of 4.75 matched Watson’s earlier world report.
“I really feel very pleased,” stated Leonardo after his gold medal win. “I really feel very joyful to deliver the primary gold medal for Indonesia at Paris 2024, to my nation. I used to be very excited, and there was additionally nervousness. My coronary heart raced, however I stayed centered and completed it. Now, I’m going again to Indonesia and specializing in coaching. We prepare collectively in Indonesia and give attention to the following competitions and in addition to interrupt the world report. There shall be a welcoming occasion. It will be wonderful for me.”
Leonardo has held the world velocity report a number of instances prior to now. On the Salt Lake Metropolis Pace World Cup in Could 2021, he established a brand new report of 5.20 seconds. The report held for nearly a 12 months till his countryman Kiromal Katibin put up a time 5.17 on the Pace World Cup in Seoul in Could 2022.
In April final 12 months, Leonardo broke the velocity report twice on the Seoul Pace World Cup – first with a time of 4.984, after which once more with a time of 4.90. The report was bested by Watson in April this 12 months on the Wujiang Pace World Cup, the place he raced a time of 4.859. Later in comp, Watson pushed the report additional to 4.798.
