Team USA's Jesse Grupper takes Pan American gold in lead and boulder final at Santiago 2023
The crowd chanted his name as Jesse Grupper scaled the climbing wall during the lead final at the 2023 Pan American Games
“Jesse! Jesse! Jesse!,” chanted the audience as Team USA’s Jesse Grupper made his way down the climbing wall after his run to take the Pan American Games’ first ever lead and boulder gold medal.
The American couldn’t hold back the tears as he planted his feet on the ground after his title performance.
“It's just unreal,” Grupper told Olympics.com after stepping down from the podium.
After looking up to the scoreboards to realize he just won it all, the 26-year-old American jumped the barrier into the audience to hug his partner Hannah Smith as the crowd continued to chant his name.
Grupper was crying, Smith was crying and the two nearly had the whole audience in tears along with them.
Team USA swept the podium as three-time World Cup champion Sean Bailey took second and 23-year-old Zachary Galla finished in third.
Jesse Grupper of United States competes in Men's Bolulder & Lead at Muros de Escalada Parque Cerrillos on Day 3 of Santiago 2023 Pan Am games on October 23, 2023 in Santiago, Chile.
After learning that he secured his quota to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Grupper said “this has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid watching swimming at the Olympics.”
Tears were also flowing from Canada’s Sean McColl, but they were not those of joy as he watched his chances at landing on the podium slip away as Grupper scaled his way up the wall after the Canadian finished the boulder stage tied for first place.
It was clear from the moment he took off that the American was going to pull-off a gold medal performance as he made calculated moves up the wall smoothly and with ease, even after finishing the boulder portion in fourth place.
This secured the American his spot at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 where the sport will run for its second Games.
National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective NOC teams at the Olympic Games. Athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Sean Bailey, Jesse Grupper and Zachary Galla celebrate on the podium after Men's Bolulder & Lead at Santiago 2023 Pan Am games.
Results from men's boulder and lead at Pan American Games 2023:
**Boulder Stage **
=1. Sean McColl, CAN, 84.5
=1. Sean Bailey, USA, 84.5
3. Zachary Galla, USA, 84.4
4. Jesse Grupper, USA, 69.4
5. Oscar Baudrand, CAN, 69.3
6. Benjamín Vargas, CHI, 39.9
=7. Thor Villegas, MEX, 35.0
=7. Victor Baudrand, CAN, 35.0
Lead Stage
1. Jesse Grupper, USA, 92.1
2. Sean Bailey, USA, 57.1
3. Zachary Galla, USA, 54.1
=4. Victor Baudrand, CAN, 48.1
=4. Sean McColl, CAN, 48.1
=6. Thor Villegas, MEX, 18.1
=6. Bejamín Vargas, CHI, 18.1
=6. Oscar Baudrand, CAN, 18.1