The IOC's choice to keep speed climbing apart from other sports is paying off.

 On Wednesday, Aleksandra Miroslaw, a Polish sport climber with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, not only won a gold medal but also raced up the speed climbing wall.

Aleksandra Miroslaw

Her brilliant medal served as official proof of her extraordinary talent and of the startling pace at which sport climbing has gained acceptance at the Olympics.

Sport climbing made its debut in the Tokyo Games in 2021, but because of an unusual competitive format, the sport's amazing speed was little known.

Can you imagine that Usain Bolt, the best sprinter in Olympic history, needed to do more to win a medal than just race the 100 meters? Rather, he would have required to win a combination event consisting of the best times from the steeplechase, the 1,500 meters, and the 100 meters. Three competing categories exist in sport climbing: "speed," which is comparable to the track 100-meter dash, and "boulder" and "lead," which are more like traditional rock climbing. Climbers competed in all three disciplines in Tokyo, and the winners were determined by their total score.

Miroslaw broke the world record for women's speed climbing in Tokyo, but there was no signature moment. The women’s gold medal went to Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret for her victory in the speed/boulder/lead combined event. However, here at the Paris Games, Miroslaw created her signature moment by smashing the world record twice.

Climbing

She climbed the wall in 6.10 seconds on Wednesday in the finals, finishing.08 seconds faster than Deng Lijuan of China. As she landed on her rope and took in the applause during the award ceremony, she clinched her fists in triumph.

Sport climbing is progressing almost as quickly as Miroslaw these days. According to Fabrizio Rossini, the federation's director of media, the International Federation of Sport Climbing had originally anticipated not being admitted to the Olympics until 2028. The International Olympic Committee deserves recognition for identifying the sport that is attracting enthusiastic and boisterous spectators to Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue since the tournament started on Monday.

The crowd appears to understand and appreciate the different disciplines. Boulder and lead remained combined. Whether they should be separated for more medals in time for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 is a conversation for another day.

Money had a role in the decision to make breaking out speed as a separate event, according to Rossini. According to him, the expenses increase with the number of medals and athletes.

The scene on Wednesday confirmed the investment made during the head-to-head matches without referring to the balance sheet.

Emma Hunt, an American, made it to the quarterfinals but stumbled halfway up the wall, and in elite speed climbing, mistakes are not tolerated. With Poland's Aleksandra Kalucka taking home the bronze and Miroslaw taking home the gold, there may be a rising powerhouse there. (Kalucka's twin sister is nearly as talented, but only two men and two women from each nation may compete in each discipline.)

The speed show is not over yet. It will continue Thursday with the men's quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. Sam Watson, an 18-year-old American, already broke the world record Tuesday in qualifications with a time of 4.75 seconds.

And Miroslaw, well, she could have been talking about speed climbing at the Olympics on Wednesday when she was asked how fast she can go.

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