Introduction

Perhaps the most positive climber on the competition scene, Jesse started climbing at the age of six, and three years later was competing in the senior team at his local climbing gym. Since then, he’s gone from strength to strength, and - after a quick break from the comp scene - Jesse returned for the 2022 World Cup Season and quickly showed everyone what he’s capable of.

With four podiums and an overall Lead season Bronze medal, Jesse introduced the world to his own special brand of lead climbing, slow, steady, and unrelenting. In Edinburgh, he topped the route out - the only person to do so - with less than a second remaining on the clock, whilst the second place finisher fell with more than four and a half minutes left! No matter how close you think Jesse is to falling off, he always - always - has more in the tank.

However, Jesse’s strength in terminator style endurance is his weakness in bouldering. The dynamic, powerful, and bouncy style that bouldering rewards is far from Jesse’s forte. Unfortunately for Jesse, these bouncy and dynamic moves quite often work their way into lead routes too, so don’t be surprised if you see Jesse struggle through a move that all previous climbers have made look simple, only to slowly and methodically grind his way through a section that leaves everyone else pumped and unable to hold on.

Jesse’s 2023 hasn’t been quite as good as his 2022, with his second place finish in the Lead in Koper the only final to his name. However, if the route plays to his strengths, then Jesse could cause an upset - on the Lead wall at least.

Qualification route

Pan American Games Santiago 2023: 1st Place (Boulder & Lead)

Despite finishing in fourth place in the Boulder, 15.1 points behind Sean Bailey’s first place, Jesse was able to beat Sean’s Lead score by a margin of 35 points to secure the Olympic ticket.

Trivia

Jesse has a part-time job at the Harvard University Bio Design Laboratory, where he helps design exoskeletons for stroke victims. 

UKC prediction

10th - 15th

If the Lead routes suit him, then Jesse could well cause an upset in the Lead portion of the contest. However, Jesse’s lead strength is unlikely to be able to make up for his weaknesses in bouldering, as it did in the Pan Am games. Whilst we’d love to see Jesse do well, we’d be surprised to see him challenging for the medals.