Paris Olympics 2024: American sport climber Sam Watson leaves with world record but without gold medal

The 18-year-old Watson, the heavy favourite for the gold, lost to Wu Peng of China in the semifinals before setting the record time of 4.74 seconds in the third-place heat.

Bronze medalist, Sam Watson of Team United States poses alongside a screen with his world record time of “4.74” during the Sport Climbing medal ceremony after the Men’s Speed Big Final on Day thirteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue on August 08, 2024, in Paris, France. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Sam Watson leaves the Paris Games with another world record but without the Olympic gold medal.

The American broke the sport climbing speed world record on Thursday for the second time at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the feat came in the fight for the bronze after he was eliminated in the semifinals.

The 18-year-old Watson, the heavy favourite for the gold, lost to Wu Peng of China in the semifinals before setting the record time of 4.74 seconds in the third-place heat.

Watson first broke the record with a time of 4.75 in an elimination heat two days ago. He had held the previous world record of 4.79 since April.

Leonardo Veddriq of Indonesia won the gold with a time of 4.75 in the final. Peng ended with 4.77.