Aleksandra Miroslaw had the perfect credentials to become the first Olympic champion in women's speed climbing.
At 30 years old, the Polish athlete—double world champion, ten-time World Cup winner, and current world record holder—cemented her place at the pinnacle of her sport by claiming Olympic gold on 7 August at Paris 2024. Her performance was nothing short of spectacular.
Deng Lijuan from the People's Republic of China earned the silver medal, while Miroslaw's fellow Pole, Aleksandra Kalucka, secured the bronze after defeating Indonesia's Rajiah Sallsabillah.
Miroslaw’s journey to the gold medal was historic. In the preliminary rounds, she made her intentions clear by setting a blistering time of 6.21 seconds, breaking both the world and Olympic records.
But she wasn't done yet. In her next run, Miroslaw surpassed her own world record, posting an incredible time of 6.06 seconds—a performance that left both the audience and her competitors in awe.
Despite her dominance in the qualifiers, the final was a tense affair. Miroslaw faced fierce competition from Deng, who finished just eight-hundredths of a second behind her, setting a new personal best and Asian record.
“It was a close final,” Miroslaw reflected, after narrowly missing the podium at the 2023 World Championships with a bronze medal. “I just focused on myself and my run. I didn’t look to the right or at the times, just focused on myself.”
The emotional impact was clear as Miroslaw stood on the podium, tears in her eyes, listening to her national anthem. “It means a lot. It’s the first time for speed climbing and for me in this discipline. Standing on the podium, hearing the national anthem with my flag draped around me, was amazing,” she said, her voice full of pride.
