Poland’s speed queen looks to impress on home turf
Few names standout as distinctly as Aleksandra Miroslaw in the pantheon of Polish sport climbing. The 31-year-old from Lublin, Poland has been dominant in recent years, winning two world championships and an Olympic title to cement her legacy as one of Poland’s greatest climbers.
Nonetheless, despite flirting with the six-second barrier last summer at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 – setting a new world record in the process at 6.06 seconds – Miroslaw’s yet to break the once unimaginable barrier in women’s speed climbing.
It’s a task she’ll hope to accomplish once and for all during the IFSC Sport Climbing World Cup Krakow 2025, with the backing of a lively and supportive home crowd – one that has yet to see Miroslaw in action on the world stage.
Of course, she won’t be the only Polish climber targeting victory in Krakow, especially if Paris 2024 bronze medallist Aleksandra Kałucka has any say in the matter.
While the 23-year-old from Tarnów has yet to compete this season, it’d be foolish to write her off prematurely. She’s shown an ability to remain calm in high pressure situations and perform at her best when it matters most, as evidenced by the overall World Cup title she claimed in 2022 and her bronze medal at Paris 2024.
Still, Kałucka will need to leave the likes of Olympic silver medallist Deng Lijuan and Team USA’s Emma Hunt in her dust, along with sister Natalia Kałucka (2023 European Games champion) and teammate Miroslaw, to stand any chance of winning in Krakow and beginning her own reign atop the speed climbing throne.