Sean Bailey (climber)

Bailey was born in Seattle[5] and began climbing at age 5 with parents, who were both climbers.[6] He began competing with the youth team at the Vertical World climbing gym and won the USA Climbing Sport Climbing Series Youth National Championship at age 17.[6]

Bailey at the 2018 IFSC Climbing World Championships in Innsbruck

At age 17, Bailey won the American Bouldering Series, the senior national bouldering competition in the United States.[6] He also won the 2018 USA Climbing Sport and Speed Nationals[7] and the 2019 USA Climbing Bouldering Nationals.[8]

Bailey has four IFSC World Cup podium finishes, first place in boulders at Salt Lake City in 2021[9] and in lead at Villars[3] and Chamonix[4] in 2021, and second place at Vail in 2018.[10] Bailey finished the Lead World Cup season in second place overall.[11]

In 2019, Bailey finished ninth at the Olympic qualifying event in Toulouse, one place short of securing a spot at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[12]

In June 2016, Bailey sent Biographie, a 5.15a (9a+) route in Céüse, France.[13] He sent another 5.15a in March 2019, Joe Mama in Oliana, Spain.[14]

In 2020, he sent two V16 (8C+) boulders, Box Therapy in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, in October[15] and Grand Illusion in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, in November.[16] Earlier that year, Bailey sent his first V15 (8C) boulder, Pegasus in Joe's Valley, Utah.[17]

In September 2021, Bailey sent Bibliographie, a 5.15c (9b+) route just a few meters away from previous project, Biographie, in Céüse. The route was first climbed by Alex Megos in 2020 and repeated by Stefano Ghisolfi earlier in 2021.[18]

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