American speed climber Emma Hunt recently broke a world record for women’s speed climbing. On July 4 at the 2026 World Climbing Series in Kraków, Poland, Hunt posted a time of 5.99 seconds in the quarter finals, becoming the first woman to dip below six seconds in the event.
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Hunt didn’t end up winning the event, thanks to a small stumble in the finals, but she did walk away with second place in the women’s speed final and first place in the mixed relay, alongside her teammate Sam Watson. The pair set a world record in that event, meaning Hunt left Kraków with two shiny new world records.
Watch Hunt beat the women’s speed-climbing record below (or see it here).
Header stock image of IFSC Climbing World Cup, July 2026, by Alex MARTIN / AFP / Getty Images
