This weekend, Peruvian surfers Lucca Mesinas and Daniella Rosas won the shortboard divisions of the Pan-American Games in fun waves on their home soil of Punta Rocas. They are now almost certain to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.
While many of the world’s best surfers were fighting it out in Huntington Beach for the gold-plated QS points, for others surfers from North, Central and South America, a win here at the Pan-Ams offered the first chance for Olympic selection.
Peruvian surf fans. Photo: Jimenez/ISA
You might remember that the Olympic fields will be contested by 20 men and women: 18 of those will come from the CT ranks, two from the host nation (hello, Kanoa Igarashi!), and the remainder will be based on results of not only the 2019 and 2020 ISA World Surfing Games, but these just-completed Pan-Ams — the last in the hierarchy of those events, so the slots won’t be confirmed until the completion of the 2020 ISA Worlds. However, with a limit of two athletes per nation, the only scenario in which Mesinas and Rosas would not qualify for the Olympics is if two compatriots of the same gender were to finish ahead of them, and make the Finals of the 2020 World Surfing Games. The chances of that happening are remote at best, so Mesinas and Rosas will likely be the first athletes booking flights to Japan.
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“I know I’m not confirmed for Tokyo yet, but of course the goal was to give myself the best chance,” said Mesinas, who won the Final by just .23 over Argentinian pro, Leandro Usuna. “I’m also going to the ISA World Surfing Games to rip and not let anyone pass me in the qualification ranking.” Mesinas made the decision not to surf in the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, and that choice was vindicated in front of a huge home crowd. While he slipped from #82 to #95 on the QS rankings, he’s almost certainly fulfilled his dream of representing Peru at surfing’s Olympic debut.
Mesinas. Photo: Jimenez/ISA
“Since surfing was first included in the Olympics I was dreaming about qualifying and also competing in the Pan-Ams,” said Mesinas. “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.”
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Though relatively unknown, the 23-year-old is easily one of South America’s best young talents. His smooth style and radical backhand helped him win two, albeit lower-ranked, QS events last year. A single Instagram post of him destroying a local left, however, might be the best recent example of what he brings to the table.
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His compatriot Daniella Rosas, however, was more of a darkhorse. The regularfooter is currently ranked outside the top-100 on the QS, but local knowledge helped her seal an Olympics berth. “I’m so happy that this event came here in Peru,” said Rosas, whose victory over Dominic Barona was witnessed by the Peruvian President, Martín Vizcarra. “I have a strong connection with the wave at Punta Rocas. This has been a dream of mine to be in Tokyo. I just wanted to do the best for my country.”
Rosas. Photo: Latinwave/ISA
The next Olympic qualification slots will come up from the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games, to be held September 7th-15th in Japan, where the highest-placing athletes from Europe, Australia, Oceania, Africa and Asia will, pending results from the 2020 ISA Games, quality for Tokyo.
This was a historical day for Peruvian surfing. The team claimed three Golds and three Silvers. More importantly, the country that hosted the second World Surfing Championships in 1965 have now, almost certainly, locked in the first two athletes for surfing’s Olympic debut.
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)
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