Team USA closed out the World Climbing Series Chongqing with gold, silver, and a world record equaling performance across three days of Speed competition in China.

Emma Hunt led the way with gold in Women’s Speed and the weekend concluded with another milestone as Zach Hammer and Sam Watson matched the Men’s Speed Relay world record on their way to silver alongside teammate Ben Jennings.

The competition marked the second of back-to-back World Climbing Series Speed stops in China following the previous weekend’s event in Guiyang.

Hunt Returns to the Top of the Podium

Hunt set the tone from the opening round, leading Women’s Speed qualification before putting together a series of consistent performances throughout the elimination rounds.

After clocking 6.18 seconds in the quarterfinal and 6.16 in the semifinal, Hunt saved her fastest run of the finals for the medal race. Her 6.13-second finish secured gold ahead of China’s Shaoqin Zhang and Italy’s Giulia Randi.

“Chongqing was such a sick event! The walk was beautiful, never climbed on a wall quite like it. I’m really proud of how consistent I climbed, but more proud of my mental during the competition.” Emma went on to tell USA Climbing, “Back to back competitions are always harder and I’m really happy I was able to hold it together”

Hunt’s victory adds another highlight to an incredible season that has already included becoming the first woman to break the six-second barrier, setting the current Women’s Speed world record and earning multiple international podiums.

Isis Rothfork rounded out Women’s Speed with a strong showing of her own, flying through qualifying with a 6.58 before ultimately finishing in the 7th position.

U.S. Men Battle Through Individual Speed

Team USA also placed multiple athletes deep into the men’s individual bracket.

Michael Hom and Zach Hammer each advanced to the quarterfinals, while Sam Watson reached the Round of 16 after qualifying near the top of a tightly packed men’s field.

Hom opened the elimination bracket with a 4.99-second run before advancing into the quarterfinals, while Hammer moved through the opening round with a 5.06. Their runs came against a field in which fractions of a second routinely separate advancement from elimination.

Team USA Takes on Mixed Relay

Saturday shifted the focus from individual racing to the Mixed Speed Relay, with two American teams advancing into the elimination bracket.

Watson and Hunt opened their finals campaign with an 11.57-second performance to advance through the Round of 16. Their run ended in the quarterfinals against France, which went on to earn bronze.

Rothfork teamed with Taede Mai, advancing into the Mixed Relay finals bracket and a 10th place finish.

U.S. Men Equal World Record on the Way to Silver

Team USA saved one of its biggest performances for the final night of competition.

Ben Jennings and Hammer opened Men’s Speed Relay competition, combining for a 10.44-second time in qualification to earn the third seed heading into the elimination rounds.

With Watson joining Hammer for the finals, the American duo continued to build speed as they advanced.

Then came the semifinal.

Hammer and Watson combined for a blistering 9.58 seconds, matching the Men’s Speed Relay world record set by China just one week earlier in Guiyang and sending Team USA into the gold medal race.

“The semifinal was practically flawless, Sam and I both climbed perfectly and our transition was golden with a .112 reaction time” Hammer told USA Climbing. “We trained a strategy where I don’t even watch him hit the top, I watch until three fourths of the way up then just know his timing and trust that he won’t make a mistake. It’s risky but it paid off with a world record!”

Team USA faced Ukraine’s Hryhorii Ilchyshyn and Yaroslav Tkach in the final. A false start on the American side ended the team’s bid for gold, while Ukraine completed the race in 10.03 seconds to secure the title.

The result gave Hammer, Watson, and Jennings silver and Team USA its second medal of the weekend.

Jennings’ contribution began before the medal round, but was a big reason the U.S. team advanced. Racing alongside Hammer in qualification, he helped put the Americans into the final bracket with the third-fastest qualifying time before Watson stepped in for the elimination rounds.

“It’s weird standing on a podium when you didn’t run the finals races to get there” Ben said. “At the same time, I’m glad to have performed well in qualifiers to get Zach and Sam into a strong position to be able to deliver the result they did! Obviously Sam, Zach, and I are all close friends so getting to stand on a podium with both of them as a team is something unforgettable.”

The performance offered another glimpse at the possibilities of the developing relay format as Team USA continues building depth across its Speed program.

On the women’s side, Piper Kelly and Sophia Curcio teamed up to make it into the elimination round, landing in 8th place overall.

World Climbing Series Heads to Salt Lake City

Chongqing brought the two-week China swing to a close with Team USA leaving the country with plenty to celebrate: an individual gold medal, a men’s relay silver, a tied world record, a mixed relay bronze in Guiyang, and several breakthrough performances.

The World Climbing Series now heads to the United States, with Salt Lake City set to host the final Boulder competition of the season from Oct. 16–18 before the 2026 season concludes in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 23–25. Get tickets to the World Climbing Series Salt Lake City.

Full results from the World Climbing Series Chongqing 2026 can be found here. You can rewatch the all the action on World Climbing’s YouTube channel. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates and behind-the-scenes content.