Olympic sport climbing: Sam Watson leaves with a world record, but no gold medal

LE BOURGET, France (AP) — Sam Watson leaves the Paris Video games with one other world document in pace sport climbing however with out the Olympic gold medal.

The American broke the pace world document on Thursday for the second time on the 2024 Paris Olympics, however the feat got here within the battle for the bronze after he was eradicated within the semifinals.

The 18-year-old Watson, the heavy favourite for the gold, misplaced to Wu Peng of China within the semifinals earlier than setting a document of 4.74 seconds within the third-place warmth. Leonardo Veddriq of Indonesia received the gold with a time of 4.75 within the closing. Wu ended with 4.77.

“I used to be simply flying and doing my factor. I feel nothing actually modified between any of my laps,” Watson stated. “Only a couple millimeters of an error is basically the secret within the sport. So no actually regrets. I don’t suppose the stress actually received to me or something like that. I feel I simply made a tiny little stumble.”

Watson first broke the document with a time of 4.75 in an elimination warmth two days in the past. He had held the earlier world document of 4.79 since April.

Watson stated the world document meant “quite a bit” and was “a giant accomplishment,” but it surely hadn’t sunk in but what it meant to go residence with the document however not the gold medal.

“I haven’t actually gone by it,” he stated. “I feel all that sort of stuff is exterior relatively than inside. I’ve a view of who I’m in my thoughts, and that doesn’t actually change no matter my efficiency. However different individuals will view me in sure methods, and I hope that approach as optimistic and an excellent illustration of myself, my sport and my nation.”

Watson stated he’ll “take a bit of break, perhaps go on a bit of trip after making an attempt so arduous” in Paris.

However solely after ending the Olympic Village muffin that he had been praising on his social media accounts since arriving in Paris.

“That was the very first thing I used to be doing, is I’d get my chocolate muffin that I introduced from the village and eat it proper after, no matter what occurred,” he stated.

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AP Summer season Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games