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Sam Watson is coming home with a medal and a new record after competing in the Paris Olympics.
After setting a world record of 4.75 seconds earlier this week, the Southlake speed climber qualified for the semifinals that took place Thursday morning. While he was knocked out of the finals by Chinese climber Wu Peng 4.93-4.85, Sam used that loss to fuel him in the bronze medal race, where he set yet another world record at 4.74 seconds. The gold medal ended up going to Indonesian climber Veddriq Leonardo, who won with a final time of 4.75 seconds.
“Yes I wanted gold, but I have no regrets,” Sam says on Instagram. “Through speed climbing, through the Olympics, I have become a much better, more mature person who truly believes he can do anything. I am happy that I shared the stage with the greatest speed climbers in the world. I am happy for how far the sport has come.”