Three Golds and three Silvers for Peru on final day of Surfing at Pan Ams

Reigning Men’s ISA Longboard World Champion Benoit ‘Piccolo’ Clemente crowned Pan Am Gold Medalist; Brazil’s Chloe Calmon takes Women’s Gold

Gold Medals for Colombia’s Gomez siblings in SUP Surfing

President of Peru Martín Vizcarra on hand to witness Surfing history

Punta Rocas, Lima, Peru— Peruvian teammates Lucca Mesinas and Daniella Rosas were crowned Shortboard Gold Medalists at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games on Sunday, which makes them almost certain to earn qualification slots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The top eligible man and woman from the event are to qualify for Surfing’s Olympic debut next year, slots which will be confirmed after the 2020 ISA World Surfing Games. With the limit of two athletes per nation at Tokyo 2020, the only scenario in which Mesinas and Rosas would not qualify is if two compatriots of the same gender qualify ahead of them at the 2020 World Surfing Games.
Mesinas let his emotions pour out ahead of the medal ceremony.
“I know I am not confirmed for Tokyo yet, but of course the goal was to give myself the best chance,” said Mesinas. “I am also going to go to the ISA World Surfing Games in 2020 to rip and not let anyone pass me in the qualification ranking.
“Since Surfing was first included in the Olympics I was dreaming about qualifying and also competing in the Pan Ams. It’s amazing to have an event of this status in Peru with our home crowd cheering for us.
“This is hands down the most incredible event I have ever been to. It’s probably the best day of my life after winning this Gold Medal for Peru and having the chance to surf in the Olympics.”
Rosas was equally as thrilled to earn the Gold Medal.
“I am so happy that I can’t explain it right now,” said Rosas. “I am so happy that this event came here in Peru. I have a strong connection with the wave at Punta Rocas.
“This has been a dream of mine to be in Tokyo. Who wouldn’t want it? I just wanted to do the best for my country.”
Along with the dual Gold Medals in the Shortboard discipline, Peru also earned a Gold Medal from Benoit ‘Piccolo’ Clemente and three Silver Medals from Vania Torres in Women’s SUP Surfing, Tamil Martino in Men’s SUP Surfing, and Maria Fernanda Reyes in Women’s Longboard.
The aforementioned medals together with Itzel Delgado’s Men’s SUP Racing Bronze earned on Friday make a grand total of seven medals for Peru, the most of any nation in the Surfing competition at the Pan Ams.
USA and Brazil followed with four total medals each.
Brazil’s two-time ISA Longboard medalist Chloe Calmon continued undefeated in the competition and took the Women’s Gold Medal.
The SUP Surfing discipline was swept by the Colombian siblings Izzi and Giorgio Gomez. Izzi took the Women’s Gold over Peru’s Vania Torres, while Giorgio took the Men’s Gold against Peru’s Tamil Martino.
The Men’s Shortboard Final was the most dramatic of the day, as Argentina’s two-time ISA World Surfing Games Champion Leandro Usuna took a wave in the final two minutes trailing Mesinas, only to come up 0.24 points short of the score he needed for Gold. The local crowed erupted as Mesinas held onto the lead to earn Gold.
The Women’s Shortboard Silver Medal went to Ecuador’s Dominic Barona, whose score of 12.5 was not enough to catch Rosas’ 13.93.
Julian Schweizer of Uruguay capped off his inspiring performance at the event with a Silver Medal in Men’s Longboard, the only medal for his nation at the Lima 2019 Surfing competition.
In attendance at the event was President of Peru Martín Vizcarra who came to support the six Peruvians competing on Sunday. Vizcarra’s presence attests to the significance and value that Surfing has brought in its debut to the Pan American Games.
Sunday’s final day of competition kicked off with all the Bronze Medal heats in Shortboard, Longboard and SUP Surfing. The winners of the Bronze Medal matches advanced to the Gold Medal match, while those who finished second were crowned the Bronze Medalists.
The most memorable Bronze Medal earned in the event was that of El Salvador’s Bryan Perez in the Men’s Shortboard Division. It was his nation’s first and only medal at the Games so far.
ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:
“What a historic finish to a historic week of competition. Surfing’s first inclusion in the Pan American Games has been a true milestone achievement for the sport and a sign of the bright future that our sport has in store.
“The resounding success will certainly reverberate through the Surfing and sport culture on all continents of the globe, and certainly within Olympic Movement multisport events as well.
“It has been a memorable and unrepeatable competition. It was a day full of emotions. The dream of Pan Am inclusion became a reality and, of course, we brought the love for the ocean and the passion that is part of Surfing to this incredible edition of the Games.”
Full results can be found on the Lima 2019 surfing web page.

Final Results:

Men’s Shortboard

• Gold – Lucca Mesinas (PER)
• Silver – Leandro Usuna (ARG)
• Bronze – Bryan Perez (ESA)

Women’s Shortboard

• Gold – Daniella Rosas (PER)
• Silver – Dominic Barona (ECU)
• Bronze – Ornella Pellizzari (ARG)

Men’s Longboard

• Gold – Benoit ‘Piccolo’ Clemente (PER)
• Silver – Julian Schweizer (URU)
• Bronze – Cole Robbins (USA)

Women’s Longboard

• Gold – Chloe Calmon (BRA)
• Silver – Maria Fernanda Reyes (PER)
• Bronze – Mathea Dempfle-Olin (CAN)

Men’s SUP Surfing

• Gold – Giorgio Gomez (COL)
• Silver – Tamil Martino (PER)
• Bronze – Daniel Hughes (USA)

Women’s SUP Surfing

• Gold – Izzi Gomez (COL)
• Silver – Vania Torres (PER)
• Bronze – Nicole Pacelli (BRA)

Men’s SUP Racing (August 2)

• Gold – Connor Baxter (USA)
• Silver – Vinnicius Martins (BRA)
• Bronze – Itzel Delgado (PER)

Women’s SUP Racing (August 2)

• Gold – Lena Ribeiro (BRA)
• Silver – Candice Appleby (USA)
• Bronze – Maricarmen Rivera (PUR)