After eight days of world-class Surfing competition at the 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games in Playa Jacó, Costa Rica, Team Peru has emerged victorious and earned the Team Gold Medal and coveted Fernando Aguerre World Team Trophy. The Gold Medal was the second for Team Peru in three years, having won the Team Gold Medal at the 2014 ISA World Surfing Games in Peru. Rounding out the Team Medal was Team Portugal with the Silver Medal, Team USA with the Bronze Medal and Team France with the Copper Medal.
USA’s Tia Blanco raises her flag with pride after she wins her second consecutive ISA World Surfing Games Open Women Gold Medal. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez
ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, expressed his excitement after watching the Finals on the webcast, unable to attend in person due to a back injury:
“Congratulations to the Team Gold Medalist, Team Peru, and the individual Gold Medalists Tia Blanco and Leandro Usuna. Tia and Leandro will forever be the very first ISA gold medalists of the Olympic Surfing cycle. As all the other ISA competitors, they surfed in true Olympic spirit, for the honor of representing their countries.
“Twenty-seven nations came together from around the world to surf in this history-making ISA World Surfing Games, for a phenomenal week of surfing and team camaraderie. Since 1964, the ISA has been the global surfing stage for all the surfing nations. And this event has been the very first one after the IOC inclusion of Surfing into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Now all surfers in the world, have the chance of becoming Olympians, the first ever Olympic surfers”.
Tia Blanco (USA) was crowned the Women’s Gold Medalist for the second consecutive year, repeating her 2015 performance at the ISA World Surfing Games in Nicaragua, and Leandro Usuna (ARG) was crowned Men’s Gold Medalist for the second time in three years, after winning the 2014 Men’s Gold Medal in Peru.
Pauline Ado.Photo: ISA / Evans
Dominic Barona. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez
Justine Dupont. Photo: ISA / Evans
After a morning that featured the Men and Women Main Event and Repechage Finals, the Open Women Grand Final took to the water in front of thousands at Playa Jacó. USA’s Tia Blanco found her rhythm midway through the Final and found a pair of rides in the 7-point range that gave her a heat total of 14.72. Blanco’s score proved to be just enough to win, as Ecuador’s Dominic Barona (14.67) earned the Silver, France’s Pauline Ado (14.46) earned the Bronze and France’s Justine Dupont (12.33) earned the Copper.
Tia Blanco said:
“I’m over the moon right now! It couldn’t get any better for me. I’ve had a little bit of a rough year so I’m super happy to get this title. I love to represent the USA and so excited to make every one proud at home.”
Women’s division podium. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez
Open Women
Gold – Tia Blanco (USA)
Silver – Dominic Barona (VEN)
Bronze – Pauline Ado (FRA)
Copper – Justine Dupont (FRA)
Team Standings
1 – Gold Medal – Peru (3188)
2 – Silver Medal – Portugal (2924)
3 – Bronze Medal – USA (2860)
4 – Copper Medal – France (2848)
5 – Costa Rica (2785)
6 – Argentina (2725)
7 – Japan (2576)
8 – New Zealand (2179)
9 – Australia (2123)
10 – Ecuador (2078)
11 – South Africa (2058)
12 – Venezuela (2045)
13 – Chile (1860)
14 – Mexico (1703)
15 – Nicaragua (1560)
16 – Panama (1554)
17 – Puerto Rico (1474)
18 – Italy (1350)
19 – Switzerland (1308)
20 – Guatemala (1218)
21 – Canada (1170)
21 – Russia (1170)
23 – Sweden (1158)
24 – Colombia (1050)
25 – Denmark (300)
26 – Uruguay (264)
