Women's World Record Speed Climber Leads the Way in IFSC World Cup

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup has arrived in Kraków, Poland, where speed climbers will have another chance at reaching the podium for a medal and potentially setting a new world record. However, smashing the current records will be an arduous task.

The men's speed record still belongs to 19-year-old Sam Watson of the U.S., who clocked a jaw-dropping time of 4.64 seconds at the IFSC World Cup Bali in early May. 31-year-old Aleksandra Miroslaw of Poland holds the women's record with a time of 6.06 seconds, which she set at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. With both athletes competing in Kraków, events were bound to get interesting.

Likely feeling an additional boost in confidence is Miroslaw, who is competing in Poland this year, her home nation. Surrounded by support and positive energy, the world record holder kicked off speed events with a striking performance on the wall, having clocked a time of 6.26 seconds. Also representing Poland is Natalia Kalucka, who clocked in at 6.48 seconds, good enough for second place in the qualification round.

Miroslaw Dominates in Kraków IFSC World Cup Qualification Round

Currently, Miroslaw's 2024 record of 6.06 seconds remains untouchable, although she has a history of breaking her records, sometimes multiple times in a single day. In April 2023, at the World Cup in Seoul, South Korea, she managed to set four new records on the same day, starting with 6.46 seconds, followed by 6.37, 6.35, and finally, 6.25 seconds. Five months later, she broke the record again before making her Paris 2024 appearance, where she finished with a time of 6.06 — no athlete, including Miroslaw, has been able to break that record since.

While Miroslaw is thriving in Krakow, Sam Watson had an unfortunate false start during qualifications, which made him ineligible for the finals on Sunday. Although this wasn't the outcome he had wanted, one bad day does not dictate his ability in future competitions. In true climber fashion, Watson has demonstrated mental fortitude throughout each event — Krakow is no different.

Taking the lead in qualifications for the men were Kiromal Katibin and Raharjati Nursamsa, both of whom are from Indonesia. Katitibin landed the fastest time of the day — 4.91 seconds — while Nursamsa finished in 4.93 seconds. Third place went to Amir Maimuratov of Kazakhstan with a time of 4.99 seconds.

The men's and women's finals will each take place on Sunday. Follow along with the competition by visiting the official IFSC YouTube channel, where the events will be available for live-streaming or on-demand viewing.