The IFSC Climbing World Cup made its debut in Krakow this weekend in the city’s historic Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This marked Poland’s first Speed World Cup in 16 years, and one of the most attended events of the 2025 season, with 122 registered athletes from 30 countries and territories. In total, Team USA sent 9 athletes to compete, including Olympians Emma Hunt, Sam Watson, Zach Hammer, and Piper Kelly.

As only the second IFSC World Cup of the season to exclusively feature Speed, three Team USA athletes advanced to finals: Emma Hunt, Zach Hammer, and Michael Hom.

Hunt Earns Her First Silver Medal of the Season

Olympian Emma Hunt earned her second podium of the 2025 season, claiming silver after beginning the qualification round in fourth. After Jimin Jeong’s false start in the quarter-final, Hunt advanced to the 1/2 final, where she beat Aleksandra Miroslaw by just 0.05 seconds. In the gold medal race, a slip kept her just 1.29 seconds away from gold and instead won her the silver medal.

Also representing Team USA in the qualification round was Olympian Piper Kelly in 17th with a time of 7.621 seconds (before slipping on her next race). After Kelly was Sophie Curcio in 23rd, with her fastest time being 7.491 seconds, and Isis Rothfork trailing closely behind in 24th with her fastest time being 7.531 seconds.

Hammer Leads Team USA Men for Speed

In one of his most impressive performances to date, Olympian Zach Hammer advanced to the bronze medal race. A slip in that round cost him a podium spot, leaving him in fourth place out of 64 male competitors. Hammer’s fastest time in Krakow came during quarter-finals when he clocked 4.85 seconds. This follows his silver medal at the IFSC World Cup in Denver earlier this season. Hammer now ranks 6th in the world according to the IFSC World Cup Ranking 2025 list for Speed.

After a stunning 4.99-second run alongside Ben Jennings in the qualification round, Olympian Sam Watson suffered a false start which cost him his shot at finals.

At a press conference at the start of the event, Watson shared his appreciation for the event and the city itself.

“The venue looks amazing. The city of Krakow, walking around, it’s such a cool, old town, and this venue – the square, the backdrop, it all looks amazing,” he said.

Also representing Team USA in the qualification round were Noah Bratschi in 42nd with a time of 5.597 seconds (before a fall during his next race), and Ben Jennings in 61st with a time of 8.734 seconds. Although Jennings originally had a quicker time, he was brought lower due to a fall on his next race.

Full results from the IFSC Climbing World Cup Krakow 2025 can be found here. You can rewatch the finals on the IFSC YouTube Channel.

Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates and behind-the-scenes action.