Emma Hunt breaks speed climbing world record twice on same day

American Olympian Emma Hunt made history in speed climbing on Saturday, shattering the six-second barrier and becoming the first woman to achieve this feat. Competing in the World Climbing Series event in Krakow, Poland, Hunt clocked an astonishing 5.99 seconds in the quarterfinals, surpassing the previous women's world record of 6.03 seconds set by Poland's Aleksandra Miroslaw.

Despite her record-breaking performance in the quarterfinals, Hunt ultimately secured a bronze medal in the individual competition, with Indonesia's Rita Kusuma Dewi taking the gold. However, Hunt's day was far from over. She later teamed up with Sam Watson to win the gold medal in the mixed relay, marking another historic achievement as the first pair to break the 11-second barrier in the event.

"It's incredible to do this on Independence Day. Happy Fourth of July," Hunt told World Climbing. Speed climbing involves athletes scaling a 15-meter-high wall angled at 95 degrees. The sport became an Olympic discipline in the 2020 Tokyo Games and will be contested as a separate event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

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It's incredible to do this on Independence Day. Happy Fourth of July.