Sam Watson at a glance
Sam Watson's personal best is 4.60 seconds, set in the final at World Climbing Series Krakow 2026 on July 4, 2026. He broke the world record five times, most recently with 4.64 at IFSC World Cup Bali 2025.
- Time
- 4.60 s
- Date
- July 4, 2026
- Event
- World Climbing Series Krakow 2026
- Round
- Final
- Country
- United States (USA)
- Born
- February 27, 2006 (age 20)
- Height
- 181 cm
- Source
- World Climbing result · World Climbing profile
Last verified November 13, 2026 against World Climbing results.
About Sam
Sam Watson races for the United States through USA Climbing. He was born on February 27, 2006 and lists Salt Lake City as his home city. His first senior international speed result in World Climbing's records is IFSC Climbing World Cup Seoul 2022, where he placed 16th. His World Climbing profile counts 14 speed podiums at all levels of competition, 7 of them wins. His biggest medal: bronze at Olympic Games Paris 2024. He topped the season-long World Cup speed ranking in 2024. His World Climbing profile lists Albert Ok as coach.
How he races
His personal best came in a head-to-head final heat. Apart from that run, he has come within a tenth of a second of it six more times in competition, so it was no one-off. Across 14 international events in 2025 and 2026, he reached the elimination rounds 13 times, made the podium six times and won three times. His fastest time dropped from 4.64 in 2025 to 4.60 in 2026.
Records
Sam Watson has set five world records. Each row below is a world record confirmed in World Climbing's results or records list.
| Time (s) | Event | Round | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.79 | IFSC World Cup Wujiang 2024 | Qualification | April 12, 2024 |
| 4.75 | Olympic Games Paris 2024 | Qualification | August 6, 2024 |
| 4.74 | Olympic Games Paris 2024 | Bronze-medal race | August 8, 2024 |
| 4.67 | IFSC World Cup Bali 2025 | Semi-final | May 3, 2025 |
| 4.64 | IFSC World Cup Bali 2025 | Final | May 3, 2025 |
Records he holds as of November 13, 2026, from World Climbing's live record tables:
| Record | Region | Time (s) | Event | Date set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental record | Pan America | 4.60 | World Climbing Series Krakow 2026 | July 4, 2026 |
| Olympic record | Olympic | 4.74 | Olympic Games Paris 2024 | August 8, 2024 |
| Relay world record (mixed) | World | 10.89 | World Climbing Series Krakow 2026 | July 4, 2026 |
| Relay continental record (men's) | Pan America | 9.58 | World Climbing Series Chongqing 2026 | September 20, 2026 |
| Relay continental record (mixed) | Pan America | 10.89 | World Climbing Series Krakow 2026 | July 4, 2026 |
Relay records are two-athlete times; see relay records for the partners.
Fastest time each season
His quickest legal run in each season at World Cups, the World Climbing Series, World and continental championships and multi-sport Games.
| Season | Time (s) | Event | Round | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.60 | World Climbing Series Krakow 2026 | Final | Result |
| 2025 | 4.64 | IFSC Climbing World Cup Bali 2025 | Final | Result |
| 2024 | 4.74 | Olympic Games Paris 2024 | Bronze-medal race | Result |
| 2023 | 5.02 | IFSC Climbing World Cup Seoul 2023 | Qualification | Result |
| 2022 | 5.45 | IFSC Climbing World Cup Jakarta 2022 | Round of 16 | Result |
Olympics and World Championships
| Year | Event | Place | Fastest time (s) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | IFSC Climbing World Championships Seoul 2025 | 5th | 4.87 | Result |
| 2024 | Olympic Games Paris 2024 | 3rd | 4.74 | Result |
| 2023 | IFSC Climbing World Championships Bern 2023 | 71st | 8.90 | Result |
Season-long World Cup ranking
Where Sam finished in the overall speed ranking that World Climbing keeps across each World Cup or World Climbing Series season.
| Season | Overall rank |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 5th |
| 2025 | 2nd |
| 2024 | 1st |
| 2023 | 3rd |
| 2022 | 5th |
2025 and 2026 results
Every senior speed event Sam raced in the last two seasons. The date is the last day of the event.
| Date | Event | Place | Fastest time (s) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 26, 2026 | World Climbing Series Santiago 2026 | 5th | 4.92 | Result |
| Sep 20, 2026 | World Climbing Series Chongqing 2026 | 17th | 4.75 | Result |
| Sep 13, 2026 | World Climbing Series Guiyang 2026 | 10th | 4.79 | Result |
| Jul 12, 2026 | World Climbing Series Chamonix 2026 | 6th | 4.74 | Result |
| Jul 5, 2026 | World Climbing Series Krakow 2026 | 1st | 4.60 | Result |
| May 10, 2026 | World Climbing Series Wujiang 2026 | 3rd | 4.67 | Result |
| Sep 28, 2025 | IFSC Climbing World Championships Seoul 2025 | 5th | 4.87 | Result |
| Sep 13, 2025 | IFSC Climbing World Cup Guiyang 2025 | 11th | 4.97 | Result |
| Aug 17, 2025 | The World Games Chengdu 2025 | 2nd | 4.87 | Result |
| Jul 13, 2025 | IFSC Climbing World Cup Chamonix 2025 | 1st | 4.65 | Result |
| Jul 6, 2025 | IFSC Climbing World Cup Kraków 2025 | 62nd | 4.99 | Result |
| Jun 2, 2025 | IFSC Climbing World Cup Denver 2025 | 3rd | 4.89 | Result |
| May 4, 2025 | IFSC Climbing World Cup Bali 2025 | 1st | 4.64 | Result |
| Apr 27, 2025 | IFSC Climbing World Cup Wujiang 2025 | 4th | 4.76 | Result |
Questions people ask
What is Sam Watson's personal best?
4.60 seconds, set in the final at World Climbing Series Krakow 2026 on July 4, 2026. Last verified November 13, 2026 against World Climbing results.
Has Sam Watson held the world record?
Yes. He set five world records, the last one 4.64 seconds at IFSC World Cup Bali 2025 on May 3, 2025. The current men's record is 4.54 seconds by Zhao Yicheng.
How fast is Sam Watson?
He has climbed the 15-metre wall in 4.60 seconds. His fastest time in 2026 was 4.60 seconds, at World Climbing Series Krakow 2026.
Did Sam Watson compete at the Olympics?
Yes. He placed 3rd in speed at Olympic Games Paris 2024, with a fastest time of 4.74 seconds there.
How old is Sam Watson?
Sam Watson was born on February 27, 2006, so he is 20 as of November 13, 2026.
How tall is Sam Watson?
World Climbing lists him at 181 cm, about 5 ft 11 in.
Where is Sam Watson from?
United States (USA). His World Climbing profile gives Salt Lake City as his home city.
Sources
- World Climbing athlete profile: Sam Watson (personal best, date of birth, height, podium count)
- World Climbing result: World Climbing Series Krakow 2026 (personal-best race)
- World Climbing speed record table
- Olympics.com athlete page
- Wikipedia (background reading only; figures here come from World Climbing)
Results and times were read from World Climbing's results service on November 13, 2026. If World Climbing changes a result after that date, its figure is the one to trust. Spotted something wrong, or are you Sam Watson? Send a correction.