The wait is over. After several days of training and the Ceremonial Sands already completed, the competition began with one of the disciplines returning to these Pan American Games; this time featuring renowned athletes, some among the top-ranked in the world and historical figures from the continent. We are referring to bodyboarding.
Around 8:30 PM, the action began with the men in the water, in waves not exceeding two meters, with gentle breaks and points that moved throughout the competition area. Among the standout athletes in the event, which has already presented Round 1, we can mention: Alfonso Aguillar from Mexico (9.87 combined points), Socrates Santana from Brazil (9.83 points), Diego Gomes also from Brazil (10 points), Moises Silva from Chile (10.23 points), and Micheel Yancee from Peru (9.43 points).
Next came the exciting and adrenaline-filled Stand Up Paddle races, held at Punta Rocas beach, located in the southern sector of the High-Performance Center. A perfect setting to enjoy the strength and skill of the race SUP athletes, who navigated large waves as they entered the sea, before completing a technical circuit of three laps (covering three kilometers of paddling), passing strategic buoys located in the southern and northern parts of the beach, as well as two buoys in the center of the course.
In the women’s grand final, Mariecarmen Rivera from Puerto Rico took the lead from the beginning among the eight athletes, closely followed by Argentina’s Juliette Duhaime. This order of athletes remained until the finish line, crowning the Puerto Rican as the new Pan American champion.
A special mention goes to Chilean Victoria Landeta, who fought tirelessly to overcome the breaking waves at the shore that prevented her from starting her course. She captured the attention of many on the beach, who watched in awe and pride as the young SUP athlete refused to give up. Finally, the 15-year-old athlete completed the race to chants and applause from everyone present.
In the men’s event, the battle for first place was quite competitive, with Peru’s Itzel Delgado taking the lead, followed closely by Argentina’s Santiago Basaldella and Brazil’s Eri Tenorio; the latter two overtook each other, changing positions due to mistakes in their falls (Basaldella fell at the inner buoys; and Tenorio fell on a wave just as he was exiting the water). Ultimately, Itzel secured the medal at home in impeccable fashion, with a good racing rhythm and great technique while surfing the waves (showing off as he exited the water on his way to the finish line). Santiago took silver, and Eri won bronze.
Below are the final results of the SUP Race:
Men’s SUP Race
Gold: Itzel Delgado – Peru 17;42
Silver: Santiago Basaldella – Argentina 18;06
Bronze: Eri Tenorio – Brazil 18;18
4: Guilherme Dos Reis – Brazil 18:36
5: Fabrizio Rondinara – Argentina 18;58
6: Ricardo Avila – Puerto Rico 19;16
7: Omelv García – Puerto Rico 19;19
8: Edinays Caballero – Panama 20;40
9: Rodrigo Alonso – Peru 21;11
10: Edmundo Ireland – Chile 21:51
Women’s SUP Race
Gold: Mariecarmen Rivera – Puerto Rico 20;23
Silver: Juliette Duhaime – Argentina 20;35
Bronze: Jessika Matos – Brazil 22;18
4: Alma Colleta – Argentina 22;22
5: Lena Ribeiro – Brazil 23;18
6: Camila Murguia – Peru 26;21
7: Tatiana Hutchins – Peru 26;22
8: Rafaela Vergara – Guatemala 27;23
Note: Fernando Cataldo – Latinwave.cl
Fotos: PHILIPPE DEMARSAN
Fotos: MICHAEL TWEDDLE
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