American Sam Watson, the fastest climber in the world, knows how to celebrate. Before he broke the world record in the Olympic men’s speed climbing final to win bronze at the Paris Olympics, Watson snagged one of the legendary chocolate muffins from the Olympic Village to snack on after the competition.
“I went on the podium and they showed me a list of rules. You may not have other objects on the podium. Like, they found me out,” Watson explained to NBCOlympics.com. “They knew what I was trying to do and they shut me down so hard.
“But the first thing I did was get that muffin out of my bag — eat it. It was delicious, and I have no regrets with eating that muffin. It’s amazing,” Watson added.
The chocolate muffin was well earned. But one day after his bronze medal and world record, Watson’s plans for the future were already in focus.
The world’s fastest speed climber has his eyes on breaking the 4.5-second barrier at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He’ll need to shave 0.24 seconds off his world record time to do it.
“I think I have a pathway that I can reasonably see myself, with my current height and strength ability to get to about 4.5 [seconds], like 4.55 with a reaction time,” Watson said.
When you look at the math, it’s not too hard to imagine. Watson already ascends the wall in the 4.5-second range; his world record time of 4.74 seconds includes a 0.18 reaction before a 4.56-second climb. With the speed of the climb nearly maxed out, is it feasible to improve on the initial reaction and achieve a 4.5-second run time?
“I think there’s definitely a way to get there. So we’ll see what it’s like,” Watson said. “I’m just going to keep going and anything is possible.”
At 18 years of age, anything truly is possible for Watson, especially when considering his accuracy. A life of scaling walls at breakneck speed brings frequent scrapes, cuts, and skin splits. Some climbers use superglue to quickly patch these injuries. But not Watson.
“I couldn’t say the last time I did use superglue,” Watson said. His coordination when navigating holds on the wall is typically so accurate that little of the power he creates is used for anything other than propelling him upwards. That clinical placement of hands and feet at high speed is key in keeping his body fresh.
Watson estimates that he’s climbed this same route anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 times since he grew tall enough to do so at age 13.
Despite his young age and experience, Watson is eager to make an even deeper impression on speed climbing — and the world.
“[I’m passionate about] just being an ambassador for my sport, helping others and helping people grow as people through sport,” Watson said. “I think that’s something that I want to accomplish and something that goes beyond just accomplishments, goes beyond just medals — making people’s lives better and becoming a better person and making the world a better place.”
Mental game strong
Speed climbing is one of the more grueling Olympic sports because it’s as mentally taxing as it is physically.
“[It’s] probably one of the more mental sports in the Olympics with the consistency it requires and the precision and the composure, especially in these Olympic Games, in this massive stage, where it means so much,” Watson said. “It really is a very, very mental sport.”
He lost his semifinal race against China’s Wu Peng by 0.08 seconds — his first loss at the Olympics. Watson had only minutes to mentally prepare for his next climb: a race for the bronze medal in the small final.
“You got to think to yourself, ‘Man, I just lost the most important race of my life — at least for the next four years. But right now is the next most important race of my life,’” Watson said.
He reset his thought process through a process similar to meditation. Watson said he reminded himself of who he was and let go of any negative self-talk.
“To do that and to bring home a world record is a big, big thing and it is really testament to the athlete that I’ve become and the composure that I have and the ability to just do that and then let it all out afterward,” Watson said of his ability to focus on his bronze medal run. “Just lock in, get it back is a big thing.”
Aside from getting into a good headspace for the run, climbers must also stay focused during the climb.
“You’re in sort of a state in which you’re consciously still thinking about your thoughts. You’re still thinking about the movements you’re making, but it’s already known. So it’s sort of just, ‘I’m making these moves, I’m making these moves, I’m making these moves,’” Watson said of what goes through his mind while climbing. “I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s a ton of other things you’re thinking about, it’s just muscle memory and you’re embracing that and you’re more so not thinking.”
Watson mentally trains by playing chess because the process of quickly calculating and anticipating moves is similar to the mindset he uses while climbing.
He doesn’t just play chess to help with his training, though. Watson enjoys watching blitzes and playing with fellow American climber Jesse Grupper, who tends to beat him. Watson is so into the game that he’s planning to visit a Parisian chess club and he’s asked his followers in the Olympic Village to play against him. No matches have occurred yet, but Watson said he’s received a few requests.
It’s a selfie world
Watson has had a blast exploring all parts of the Olympic Village. He’s determined to take a selfie with an athlete from every delegation (there are 206!) — a grueling mission.
“I have a lot of selfies. I have a lot, a lot of selfies. I’m trying to complete them. I’m at like 70 or 80 now, maybe even close to 100,” Watson said, which is almost double the amount he last posted on Instagram. “As far as getting different countries, I might not get them all, but I’m gonna really work hard to get as many selfies as possible and post those.”
He’s also been busy writing postcards to friends and family members.
Pins palooza
Of course, Watson’s been trading Olympic pins. His favorite so far?
“[The one] from the Chinese athlete that actually beat me in the semifinal. He gave me a pin and it was the coolest pin ever. It had a golden dragon on it,” Watson said. “That means a lot to me, beyond just the level of how cool a pin it is.”
Wu denied him an Olympic gold medal in Paris, but the 18-year-old is coming home with a host of souvenirs in addition to critical experience to guide him on his plans for 2028.
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