When Sam Watson set a speed climbing world record of 4.75 seconds in the Parisian suburbs, where a temporary climbing wall has been installed for the Olympics, he became the owner of a unique sporting accolade. “That’s a cool title, no one can take that away I suppose.”For those spectating at a speed climbing event, a moment’s distraction can prove costly. Watson set the previous speed climbing world record of 4.79 seconds at a World Cup event in China earlier this year, before Indonesia’s Veddriq Leonardo matched that time in Tuesday’s heats. “But I did go a lot faster in practice and I did have the idea that it was possible [to get a world record]. Speed climbing is considered a different skill to lead and bouldering, and mastering all three is a near-impossible task.

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Persons: Le, –, Sam Watson, ”, Watson, “, Indonesia’s Veddriq Leonardo, Fabrice Coffrini, Adam Ondra, Poland’s Aleksandra Mirosław, “ It’s, …, – Leonardo, Rahmad Adi Mulyono – Organizations: Paris CNN —, Olympics, Olympic, Paris, Getty, Pan American Games, Paris Olympics, Team USA Locations: Le Bourget, Paris, Texas, China, AFP, Tokyo, Czech, Southlake , Texas