All surfers remain for USA and France, Peru trails with three surfers left
Men’s, Women’s, and Team Gold Medalists to be crowed Sunday
Brazil’s reigning runner-up Chloe Calmon on fire in Repechage Rounds
As the 2019 ISA World Longboard Surfing Championship prepares to crown World Champions on Sunday, Team France and Team USA currently share the pole position atop the team rankings.
USA, the defending Gold Medalist, will look to earn their second consecutive Gold Medal in the event while the host nation France will go for their first Team Gold. France currently holds the advantage over USA, with three surfers that remain in the Main Event side of the draw. USA has three surfers in the elimination Repechage Rounds who will have no room for error if they are to surpass Team France.
Team Peru also remains in contention for the Gold Medal as the only Team with three surfers remaining. A strong showing by the Peruvian contingent could still spoil the party for USA and France and earn them the Gold.
Ten heats remain for the final day of competition on Sunday, with three Repechage Rounds, the Main Event Finals, and medal-awarding Grand Finals. Along with the Team Champion, the Men’s and Women’s individual World Champions will be decided.
Thousands of spectators headed down to the coast line at Côte des Basques on Saturday to experience the global competition and enjoy the perfect weather that has prevailed over the second half of the event window.
The reigning women’s Silver Medalist, Chloe Calmon of Team Brazil, was on fire during the Repechage Rounds on Saturday. Calmon, one of the Gold Medal favorites, fell out of the Repechage early in the event, but regained her footing, marking the two highest heat totals between either gender for the day with 17.74 and 14.60 points.
Team USA’s Lindsay Steinriede put on a clutch performance in the glassy conditions at Côte des Basques for Team USA in the Repechage Rounds, avoiding elimination to keep pace with Team France. Steinriede earned a 13.1 heat total to place first in her Round 6 heat and advance into Round 7, still two heat wins away from the Grand Final.
“It feels good to get closer and closer to that Grand Final,” said Steinriede. “To win a Gold would be awesome. Helping my team win a Gold is the experience I am looking for here.”
On the Men’s side of the competition, Argentina’s Martin Perez continued to be one of the inspiring stories of the competition as the last competitor remaining for his nation. Perez, who was nearly brought to tears when expressing the pride of representing his nation on the event’s global broadcast earlier in the week, has become known for his stylish nose riding and safely advanced through the Repechage Rounds on Saturday.
Perez’s South American neighbors in Uruguay also put on memorable performances. Uruguay’s Julian Schweizer and Ignacio Pignataro faced off in the same Repechage Round. Both were able to get rides in the heat’s dying minutes to finish first and second, respectively, and continue in the event.
“I’m so happy!” said Schweizer. “I can’t believe that I was able to advance together with Nacho to the Repechage Semifinals.”
“We’re Uruguayans and we will fight to the end no matter who we are against,” added Pignataro. “We are here to make it as far as we can together.”
The competitors already placed in the Main Event Final didn’t compete on Saturday, awaiting the athletes that prevail from the Repechage Rounds.
In the Men’s Main Event Final, France’s Delpero brothers Antoine and Edouard, Peru’s 2018 ISA Silver Medalist Benoit Clemente, and England’s Ben Howey will look to advance into the Grand Final. For the women, Japan’s 2018 Copper Medalist Natsumi Taoka, Peru’s María Fernando Reyes, France’s Alice Lemoigne, and USA’s Soleil Errico are slated to face off.
ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:
“We’ve finally arrived at the moment we’ve been waiting for. 102 athletes, 31 countries, and eight days of competition have brought us to the final day, where dreams will be made and history written at Côte des Basques.
“Today we witnessed some gutsy performances in the Repechage Rounds, with athletes advancing through two heats today. It’s a great illustration of why we use a double elimination format.
“Conditions are looking to be epic for the Finals, with waves in the 3-4 range, hot weather and calm winds – a perfect day to crown new World Champions.”
The schedule for Sunday’s competition is as follows:
- 7:15am – 8:05am: 2 heats Men Repechage Round 6
- 8:05am – 8:30am: 1 heat Women’s Repechage Round 7
- 8:30am – 8:55am: 1 heat Men’s Repechage Round 7
- 8:55am – 9:20am: Women’s Main Event Final
- 9:20am – 9:45am: Men’s Main Event Final
- 9:45am – 10:10am: Women’s Repechage Final
- 10:10am – 10:35am: Men’s Repechage Final
- 10:35am – 11:05am: Women’s Grand Final
- 11:05am – 11:35am: Men’s Grand Final
Schedule is subject to changes and possible delays during the high tide.
View all results here.
Follow the action live on www.isasurf.org.
