Aleksandra Kalucka and Wu Peng claim speed climbing gold trophies at OQS Budapest
Kalucka obtained a Paris 2024 quota spot ahead of her twin sister Natalia, while Wu comes close to the men's world record.
Sport Climbing
Aleksandra Kalucka and Wu Peng claimed victory in the sport climbing speed finals at the Olympic Qualifier Series 2024 Budapest on Saturday (22 June), with Wu breaking the Asian record and threatening the world record en route.
For Poland's Kalucka, it was bittersweet: her victory, and subsequently obtaining a Paris 2024 quota spot, meant twin sister Natalia will not go to the Olympic Games this summer.
Natalia was eliminated in the round of 16, while Aleksandra defeated all four of her opponents en route to claiming the first-place gold trophy. Her closest challenge came in the big final, as People's Republic of China climber Zhou Yafei finished just 0.02 seconds behind the Pole.
Meanwhile, Wu was dominant in every round in the setting sun and evening breeze at the Ludovika Campus climbing venue.
With a large crowd spread out on the open field enjoying the action, Wu gave them something to get excited about as he threatened Samuel Watson's world record in the semi-finals against Indonesia's Veddriq Leonardo.
Wu sped out of the start while Leonardo slipped, and by the time Wu hit the timer pad, the clock read 4.83 seconds – just 0.04 shy of equalling Watson's mark, and at the same time breaking Leonardo's Asian record of 4.90 standing from the IFSC World Cup in Seoul last year.
The Chinese climber went on to beat Kazakh sensation and top qualifier Amir Maimuratov in the final when Maimuratov fell near the top of the wall.
With the conclusion of speed climbing at the Olympic Qualifier Series, the five men and five women who have obtained a Paris 2024 quota spot directly through OQS are now known.
Additionally, as Olympic Games hosts France qualified through the qualification pathway, the host quota was re-allocated in both events. The quotas reserved for universality places were too, with all four spots re-allocated to athletes based on their OQS performances. Each National Olympic Committee was limited to a maximum of two quota spots per event.
The seven men who obtained quotas are: Wu, Leonardo, Maimuratov, Zachary Hammer (USA), Reza Alipour Shenazandifard (IRI), Yaroslav Tkach (UKR), and Shin Euncheol (KOR).
The seven women who secured quotas are: Zhou, Aleksandra Kalucka, Sallsabillah, Capucine Viglione (FRA), Manon Lebon (FRA), Leslie Romero Pérez (ESP), and Beatrice Colli (ITA).
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective teams at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at Paris 2024 depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation. Click here to view the qualification system for each sport.
You can watch the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in Budapest from 20 to 23 May live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices.
OQS Budapest 2024 results - Men's and women's speed climbing - Finals
- Men's big final: Wu Peng (CHN) 4.90 seconds beat Amir Maimuratov (KAZ) fall
- Men's small final: Veddriq Leonardo (INA) 5.05 seconds beat Aspar Aspar (INA) 5.61 seconds
- Women's big final: Aleksandra Kalucka (POL) 6.50 seconds beat Zhou Yafei (CHN) 6.52 seconds
- Women's small final: Rajiah Sallsabillah (INA) 6.64 seconds beat Niu Di (CHN) 6.71 seconds