My goal for Los Angeles 2028 is the top of the podium in men's speed. Paris 2024 gave me a bronze medal and two world records, and one very clear piece of information: I can be faster. This page is the plan for the two years in between, and I update it as the seasons unfold. Last updated: November 2026.
What is my goal for LA 2028?
Gold, at a home Games, in a discipline that will finally stand alone as its own medal event on American soil. I say it plainly because vague goals produce vague seasons. A home Olympics is a once-in-a-career alignment: the crowd, the wall, the time zone, the story. I wrote about what it felt like to stand on the Paris podium in my account of the Olympic final, and everything since has pointed here.
What has to happen between now and then?
- 2026: the World Climbing Series. Every round is a data point, every final is pressure practice. The Krakow win and personal best, and the relay record with Emma Hunt, are the start. The season ended in Santiago in October with me fifth overall and Zhao Yicheng the series champion.
- 2027: qualification season. The events that decide Olympic places begin, and every hundredth carries double weight: ranking points and a ticket.
- 2028: Los Angeles. A home wall, and the reason for everything above it on this list.
How does qualification actually work?
The short version: the LA 2028 speed field is 14 athletes per gender, at most two per nation, earned through the 2027 qualification events and the 2028 Olympic Qualifier Series. The long version, including the format change that gave every discipline its own medal, is in my LA 2028 explainer, which I keep updated as details are confirmed.
What does the record chase look like from here?
Honestly: I am chasing again, and I prefer it. My 4.64 stood as the world record into April 2026. Zhao Yicheng has since taken the mark down to 4.54, and my Krakow 4.60 is the closest anyone else has come. Losing the record did more for my training than holding it ever did. The gap between my 4.60 and Zhao's 4.54 comes down to a start reaction and one mid-wall transition, and both are trainable. The current numbers, and how the records have moved, are in my records explainer.
What I am working on this season
Starts, above everything: the splits say that is where the next hundredths live. Then consistency at race intensity, because 2027 will reward the athlete who can produce a 4.6 on demand rather than once a summer. My full training structure is public in how speed climbers train, and the drills behind it are on LearnSpeedClimbing, because the sport grows when the knowledge is open. The athletes chasing me make me faster, and the kids starting today are the field in Brisbane 2032.
Why partners should care about the timeline
A partner who joins now gets the whole two-year run-in, with a home-Games ending already on the calendar and everything in between broadcast and measured. The conversation starts on my partnerships page.
Quick answers
Has Sam Watson qualified for LA 2028?
Not yet, and neither has anyone: Olympic qualification for climbing begins with the 2027 season events. This page and my results page will track it as it happens.
Where does Sam Watson rank right now?
Fifth in the final 2026 World Climbing Series standings. Zhao Yicheng of China won the series.
When is Sam Watson's next competition?
The 2027 World Climbing Series opens in Shanghai, April 23 to 25, 2027. The full calendar is on my results page.
Want the full system behind these numbers? Every drill, every hold, every second: it is all on LearnSpeedClimbing.
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