USA defend their title in 2021 ISA World Para Surfing Games

The defending champions have retained their first place in the Finals in Pismo Beach. In second place Team Spain beat Brazil in Bronze and Costa Rica with Copper. 

The dramatic final day in Pismo Beach for the 2021 ISA World Para Surfing Games has left seven new World Champions as well as nine previous World Champions. Home-team USA has added their second gold medal in the Para Surfing Team Championship. 

Liv Stone, Sarah Bettencourt and Jose Martinez have acquired three gold medals. The women used their clever heat strategy and impeccable surfing to back up their 2020 wins, while Jose Martinez pushed his teammate Jesse Billauer to the end in the last heat of the day at the Men’s Prone 2 final. 

“To represent my country for a new sport that’s coming out, that I see as absolutely epic and is going to be so meaningful for the rest of the world, not just for us. I am grateful and I am honored.” -Martinez. 

Third strike

Four returning champions have claimed their third gold medal in the ISA World Para Surfing Championship. Mark “Mono” Stewart (AUS) and Alcino “Pirata” Neto were back on top, while Victoria Feige (CAN) and Melissa Reid (ENG) achieved their third victory in a row. 

They have become the first two women to win three gold medals in Para Surfing history. In additional notes, Roy Calderon and Jimena Ruiz have delivered the first wins for Costa Rica in Para Surfing, succeeding in Men’s Visually Impaired 2 and Women’s Stand 2 respectively. 

“I worked three shifts and gave up all my vacation time to pay for my travel, I’m so happy to win this all of Costa Rica!” -Roy Calderon

Promising victories

Two women won gold medals for the first time in adaptive surf: in the women’s visually impaired 1 final Marta Paço (POR) achieved a convincing win, while Joyce Neumueller (AUS) won in Women’s Prone 2. She led constantly before posting an 8.00 and sealing the deal in her first appearance on the international stage. 

Fellipe Kizu Lima finished the Sit final with the highest single wave score of the event: 9.83. As he backed up 8.93, the Brazilian accumulated 18.76 and delivered the highest heat score of the championship, beating his own previous record. 

Full results of the 2021 ISA Para Surfing Games

Teams

1. Gold: USA
2. Silver: SPAIN
3. Bronze: BRAZIL
4. Copper: COSTA RICA

Women’s Kneel

1. Gold – Victoria Feige (CAN)
2. Silver – Noemi Alvarez (CHI)
3. Bronze – Audrey Pascaul (ESP)
4. Copper – Ana Barbara Garcia (MEX)

Men’s Kneel

1. Gold – Mark Stewart (AUS)
2. Silver – Altair Olivares (CHI)
3. Bronze – Llewelyn Williams (WAL)
4. Copper – Henrique Saraiva (BRA)

Women’s Visually Impaired 2

1. Gold – Melissa Reid (ENG)
2. Silver – Sarah Jane Gibson (AUS)
3. Bronze – Ling Pai (CAN)
4. Copper – Celia Gramse (ESP)

Men’s Visually Impaired 2

1. Gold – Roy Calderon (CRC)
2. Silver – Miguel Flavio (BRA)
3. Bronze – Aaron Paulk (HAW)
4. Copper – Matt Formston (AUS)

Women’s Visually Impaired 1

1. Gold – Marta Paço (POR)
2. Silver – Carmen Lopez (ESP)
3. Bronze – Barbie Pacheco (USA)

Men’s Visually Impaired 1

1. Gold – Elias Figue Diel (BRA)
2. Silver – Kirk Watson (AUS)
3. Bronze – Ben Neumann (GER)
4. Copper – Aitor Francesena (ESP)

Open Sit

1. Gold – Fellipe Kizu Lima (BRA)
2. Silver – Ethan Kairer (USA)
3. Bronze – Juan Camacho (CRC)
4. Copper – Alana Nichols (USA)

Women’s Stand 1

1. Gold – Liv Stone (USA)
2. Silver – Catalina Salamanca (CHI)
3. Bronze – Darian Haynes (USA)
4. Copper – Chikato Takao (JPN)

Men’s Stand 1

1. Gold – Mike Richards Vaz (BRA)
2. Silver – Jonathan Borba (BRA)
3. Bronze – Harrison Doi (HAW)
4. Copper – Camilo Abdula (POR)

Women’s Prone 1

1. Gold – Sarah Bettencourt (USA)
2. Silver – Claudia Palacios (CHI)
3. Bronze – Minoshka Solis (CRC)
4. Copper – Katherine Beattie (USA)

Men’s Prone 1

1. Gold – Bruno Hansen (DEN)
2. Silver – Casey Proud (HAW)
3. Bronze – Nicolas Gallegos (ARG)
4. Copper – Miguel Rojas (CHI)

Men’s Stand 3

1. Gold – Alcino Neto (BRA)
2. Silver – Colin Cook (HAW)
3. Bronze – Dariel Melendez (CRC)
4. Copper – Martin Diaz Martinez (MEX)

Women’s Stand 2

1. Gold – Jimena Ruiz (CRC)
2. Silver – Malu Mendes (BRA)
3. Bronze – Maria Granizo (ESP)
4. Copper – Charlotte Banfield (ENG)

Men’s Stand 2

1. Gold – Adi Klang (ISR)
2. Silver – Nachman Balulu (ISR)
3. Bronze – Philippe Naud (FRA)
4. Copper – Baldir Vallejos (CRC)

Women’s Prone 2

1. Gold – Joyce Neumueller (AUS)
2. Silver – Sarah Almargo (ESP)
3. Bronze – Samantha Bloom (AUS)
4. Copper – Hannah Dines (ENG)

Men’s Prone 2

1. Gold – Jose Martinez (USA)
2. Silver – Jesse Billauer (USA)
3. Bronze – Claudio Morales (CHI)
4. Copper – Tomoki Fujiwara (JPN)