PARIS, France — A Marietta native's medal hopes at the Paris Olympics slipped from her grasp Wednesday as she stumbled in the speed climbing quarterfinals.
Emma Hunt, a current Kennesaw State student, arrived in Paris with a decent shot at the medal podium after she won silver at the World Championships last year.
But in her quarterfinal match against Indonesia's Rajiah Sallsabillah, the 21-year-old slipped about halfway up the the rock wall.
She finished the climb in 7.98 seconds, well off her usual standard and about a second and a half behind Sallsabillah. Her Indonesian opponent went on to lose in the semifinals to China's Deng Lijuan, who herself lost the final to Poland's world record holder Aleksandra Miroslaw.
Hunt appeared to take the disappointing finish in stride, though, congratulating Sallsabillah after their match and flashing a silly face as she walked off the event stage.
Hunt studies exercise science at Kennesaw State and trains at the nearby Stone Summit Climbing facility.
She has been speed climbing since 2015 and was the 2019 youth world champion in the event. Currently, Hunt holds the U.S. record in the speed climbing event at 6.301 seconds.
She spoke to 11Alive before the Olympics:
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