USA Sets First-Ever Speed Climbing Mixed Relay Record

Two American climbers just set a world record that never existed before, racing up a wall so fast most people couldn't tie their shoes in the same time.

Emma Hunt and Samuel Watson teamed up at the World Climbing Series in Kraków, Poland, to clock 11.22 seconds in the sport's first-ever mixed relay competition. The format pairs one male and one female climber racing back-to-back on adjacent walls, and this week marked the first time athletes competed in it at the international level.

The American duo didn't just win their qualifying round. They established the inaugural world record and Pan American record in a single climb that lasted barely longer than a traffic light.

Thirty-two teams from 20 nations showed up to contest the historic event. Indonesia's team finished second in 11.48 seconds, setting the first Asian record. Ukraine claimed the European record at 11.94 seconds, while New Zealand set Oceania's benchmark at 17.90 seconds.

Poland's Anna Brożek and Marcin Dzieński, who happen to be engaged, squeaked into the finals with the 16th and final qualifying spot. Competing in front of their home crowd added an extra layer of joy to an already special format.

"It's super fun," Brożek said about racing alongside her fiancé. "There is a different kind of pressure, less pressure than an individual one. I think we know each other so well that it was easier to have fun in this."

The mixed relay joins men's and women's relay formats that debuted last year, but this version brings something new to the climbing world. Athletes get to share the spotlight and the pressure, creating moments of teamwork in what's typically a solo sport.

The Ripple Effect

The introduction of mixed relay competition signals climbing's continued evolution as a global sport. Twelve nations qualified teams for the finals, with China, Indonesia, Italy, and Spain each advancing two pairs. Countries across four continents now hold continental records in a discipline that didn't exist on the international stage until this week.

The format also creates new pathways for athletes to compete and connect. Brożek noted she'd be racing in both individual and mixed relay finals the next day, tired but energized by the dual opportunity.

Tomorrow's finals will determine the first-ever mixed relay champions, adding another chapter to a sport that keeps finding fresh ways to bring people together while pushing human limits skyward.