Current endpoint
Zhao Yicheng holds the men's world record at 4.54 seconds, set at the World Climbing Series in Wujiang on May 10, 2026.
Key record milestones
| Year | Time | Athlete | Event/Place | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5.20 | Veddriq Leonardo (INA) | Salt Lake City | A major pre-sub-five benchmark. |
| 2023 | 4.98 | Veddriq Leonardo (INA) | Seoul | First official sub-five men's world record. |
| 2023 | 4.90 | Veddriq Leonardo (INA) | Seoul | Improved again at the same World Cup. |
| 2024 | 4.79 | Samuel Watson (USA) | Pre-Paris 2024 season | World record entering the Olympic period. |
| 2024 | 4.75 | Samuel Watson (USA) | Paris 2024 | World record during Olympic competition. |
| 2024 | 4.74 | Samuel Watson (USA) | Paris 2024 | World record in the bronze-medal race. |
| 2025 | 4.67 | Samuel Watson (USA) | Bali | World record in the semi-final. |
| 2025 | 4.64 | Samuel Watson (USA) | Bali | World record later the same event. |
| 2026 | 4.58 | Zhao Yicheng (CHN) | Sanya | Set in Zhao's first senior start. |
| 2026 | 4.54 | Zhao Yicheng (CHN) | Wujiang | Current world record as verified Aug. 19, 2026. |
Breaking five seconds
Veddriq Leonardo became the first man to take the official record below five seconds in Seoul in 2023, first at 4.98 and then 4.90. That milestone changed sub-five climbing from a theoretical frontier into an elite competitive reality.
The Watson acceleration
Samuel Watson drove the benchmark through the mid-4.7s at Paris 2024 and then to 4.64 in Bali in 2025. His progression demonstrated how quickly the frontier could move once multiple athletes began living consistently below five seconds.
Zhao Yicheng and the 4.5-second era
Zhao lowered Watson's 4.64 record to 4.58 at the 2026 Asian Beach Games, then improved it to 4.54 at the World Climbing Series in Wujiang. The official World Climbing records page lists 4.54 as the current men's world and Asian record.
A milestone timeline, not a complete ratification ledger
This table highlights major documented changes rather than claiming to reproduce every historical ratification. Where a complete official historical ledger is required, use World Climbing's records and archived competition results.
Records & performance data
Current Speed Climbing World Records
Current men's and women's speed climbing world records, with athlete, event, location, date and verification status.
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.