Verified August 19, 2026
The current men's individual Speed world record is 4.54 seconds by Zhao Yicheng of China, set in Wujiang on May 10, 2026. The current women's record is 5.99 seconds by Emma Hunt of the United States, set in Kraków on July 4, 2026.
Headline records
Men's official record categories
| Record | Time | Athlete | Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World | 4.54 | Zhao Yicheng (CHN) | World Climbing Series | Wujiang (CHN) | May 10, 2026 |
| Africa | 5.62 | Joshua Bruyns (RSA) | IFSC Climbing World Cup | Chamonix (FRA) | July 11, 2025 |
| Asia | 4.54 | Zhao Yicheng (CHN) | World Climbing Series | Wujiang (CHN) | May 10, 2026 |
| Europe | 4.84 | Hryhorii Ilchyshyn (UKR) | World Climbing Series | Wujiang (CHN) | May 10, 2026 |
| Oceania | 4.99 | Julian David (NZL) | World Climbing Series | Chamonix (FRA) | July 10, 2026 |
| Pan America | 4.60 | Samuel Watson (USA) | World Climbing Series | Kraków (POL) | July 4, 2026 |
| Olympic | 4.75 | Samuel Watson (USA) | Olympic Games | Paris (FRA) | August 6, 2024 |
Women's official record categories
| Record | Time | Athlete | Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World | 5.99 | Emma Hunt (USA) | World Climbing Series | Kraków (POL) | July 4, 2026 |
| Africa | 9.12 | Aniya Holder (RSA) | Olympic Games | Paris (FRA) | August 5, 2024 |
| Asia | 6.07 | Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi (INA) | World Climbing Asia Championship | Meishan (CHN) | April 9, 2026 |
| Europe | 6.03 | Aleksandra Mirosław (POL) | IFSC Climbing World Championship | Seoul (KOR) | September 24, 2025 |
| Oceania | 7.70 | Mila Piatek (NZL) | World Climbing Youth Championship | Arco (ITA) | July 21, 2026 |
| Pan America | 5.99 | Emma Hunt (USA) | World Climbing Series | Kraków (POL) | July 4, 2026 |
| Olympic | 6.06 | Aleksandra Mirosław (POL) | Olympic Games | Paris (FRA) | August 5, 2024 |
World record versus fastest-looking time
A time should only be called an official world record when the governing body recognizes it in the appropriate record category. Training times, unofficial timing, replica walls and ineligible event conditions can still be useful performance information, but they should not be presented as equivalent to an official record.
Why this page carries a verification date
Speed records can change in a single race. This page therefore separates a stable explanation of record categories from current figures that require re-verification. The date above tells readers when the data was last checked against World Climbing.
Records & performance data
Men's Speed Climbing World Record Progression
Key milestones in the men's speed climbing world record progression, from the five-second barrier to Zhao Yicheng's 4.54-second record.
Open reference →Women's Speed Climbing World Record Progression
Key milestones in the women's speed climbing world record progression, including Aleksandra Mirosław's record era and Emma Hunt's first sub-six run.
Open reference →Speed Climbing Continental Records
Current African, Asian, European, Oceania and Pan American speed climbing records for men and women, verified August 19, 2026.
Open reference →Olympic Speed Climbing Records
Official Olympic speed climbing records from Paris 2024, and how an Olympic record differs from a world record.
Open reference →Speed Climbing Relay Records
Current men's, women's and mixed speed relay world records and why relay records are a new part of the sport's performance data.
Open reference →Speed Climbing Record Milestones
Major speed climbing performance milestones: sub-five men, sub-six women, Olympic breakthroughs and emerging relay barriers.
Open reference →Personal Best vs Official Speed Climbing Record
The difference between a speed climbing personal best, training time, event result, continental record, Olympic record and world record.
Open reference →SpeedClimbing.com Records Methodology & Source Policy
How SpeedClimbing.com verifies current records, handles historical progression, dates updates and separates official data from secondary reporting.
Open reference →Primary record sources
- World Climbing — Men's Speed Records
- World Climbing — Women's Speed Records
- World Climbing — Mixed Team Speed Relay Records
- World Climbing — Speed discipline overview
Current-record pages are date-sensitive. Figures on SpeedClimbing.com were verified against World Climbing on August 19, 2026. Governing-body data supersedes this site if a record changes after that date.