Margo Hayes

Hayes was one of four women to earn a spot on the 2019 U.S. Overall National Team as a first step to qualifying for the 2020 Olympics climbing competition.

On February 26, 2017, Hayes became the first woman to climb a route graded 9a+ (5.15a) (La Rambla, in Siurana, Spain). As of November 2017, the most difficult route ever climbed by a female is 9b (5.15b) (La Planta de Shiva at Villanueva del Rosario, Spain, first female ascent by Angela Eiter). While two other female climbers—Ashima Shiraishi and Josune Bereziartu—had recorded 5.14d/5.15a ascents, Hayes's completion of La Rambla remains the first female ascent of a consensus 5.15a.

In 2016, at the IFSC World Youth Championships in Guangzhou (China), she competed in the Juniors category, winning both the bouldering and lead events, placing 15th in speed, and placing first in the overall standings. In the same year, Hayes won a Golden Piton award from Climbing Magazine for successfully climbing 14 routes graded 5.14.

As part of the US National Team, Hayes has competed in all three disciplines (lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering) of the International Federation of Sport Climbing competitions. In 2015, at the IFSC World Youth Championships in Arco, Italy Hayes won silver both in bouldering and lead, behind Janja Garnbret.

Margo Hayes (born February 11 1998) is an American professional rock climber from Boulder, Colorado. She is known for being the first woman to climb a route graded 9a+ (5.15a) (La Rambla, in Siurana, Spain). In 2016, she won both the Bouldering and Lead Climbing events at the World Youth Championships in Guangzhou (China).