Team USA returned from the World Climbing Series Guiyang with a podium finish as Samuel Watson and Emma Hunt claimed bronze in the Speed Mixed Relay. The event brought together 101 athletes from 24 nations, with nine athletes athletes representing Team USA across individual and relay competition.

Watson and Hunt Claim Bronze in Mixed Relay

The highlight of the weekend came in the mixed relay, where Samuel Watson and Emma Hunt teamed up to claim bronze with a time of 11.85. The pair had qualified third going into the final and held their position when it counted, finishing behind Indonesia and China on the podium. The result followed their historic performance at the World Climbing Series Kraków earlier this season, where Watson and Hunt won gold and set the mixed relay world record at 10.89 seconds.

Hunt Leads Qualification, Team USA Advances in Individual Speed

Emma Hunt was the standout performer on the women’s side, posting the fastest qualification time in the entire field to claim the top seed heading into the bracket. Hunt, Piper Kelly, and Isis Rothfork were all able to advance to the quarterfinals.

On the men’s side, Samuel Watson qualified third overall with a time of 4.79 seconds before also seeing his run end in the quarterfinals. Zach Hammer joined Watson in representing Team USA in qualifications, finishing 16th.

In addition to the mixed relay bronze, Team USA also fielded entries in the men’s and women’s relay events. The women’s team qualified 10th with a time of 15.68 but did not advance to the final. The men’s team finished 11th with a time of 10.46.

Full results from the World Climbing Series Guiyang 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.