'Spider-woman' Aries Susanti Rahayu breaks world record in speed climbing
Aries Susanti Rahayu raced up a 49-foot wall in 6.99 seconds.
Indonesian athlete Aries Susanti Rahayu set a new world record for women in speed climbing this weekend, climbing up a 49-foot wall in under seven seconds.
Rahayu, 24, scurried up the climbing wall at a Climbing World Cup competition in Xiamen, China, reaching the top in 6.99 seconds -- beating out the previous record of 7.10 seconds.
She also became the first woman in the history of the sport to reach the top in under seven seconds, according to International Federation of Sport Climbing.
Video of her win shows Rahayu, who has been appropriately nicknamed "Spider-woman," exploding off the ground and quickly leaving her competitor in the dust.
"I'm very happy, amazing for me," she told reporters after the Saturday's event.
Sport climbing, including speed, bouldering and lead, will make its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. Speed climbing involves two competitors climbing up a 49-foot wall on a fixed route.
Rahayu, from the city of Yogyakarta, has become a force in the sport. She is currently ranked third in the world and was featured on Forbes Asia's "30 Under 30" list in 2019.