Argentina dominated the first South American adapted surfing competition

They won seven of the 11 gold medals that were up for grabs. Colombia, Brazil and Chile shared the other four (although the results somehow took a backseat in this event).


November 10, 2018
|EN News
|POR Pablo Zanocchi

Argentina respected the home team and took seven of the 11 medals that were up for grabs in the historic first South American adapted surfing championship that took place today in Playa Grande in Mar del Plata, in good waves between half a metre and one metre high.

Matias Sequeira, Rocio Gonzalez, Sebastian Seta, Matias Arendt, Sebastian Ruiz Diaz, Georgina Melatini and Pablo Martinez were the Argentine medalists who joined the Brazilians Felipe Lima and Jonathan Borba and the Colombian Freddy Marimón (see details below).

It was a day of many emotions in Mar del Plata, in which 45 surfers from eight countries with different physical and intellectual disabilities, congenital or caused by accidents, challenged the public with the impressive skills they demonstrated.

There was a lot of camaraderie, between competitors and between competitors with the public, with the staff and with the sea that once again made those who visited its waves equal.

There are very few adaptive surfing events in the world and all the positive aspects surrounding them make it imperative that there be more.

ASI assisted men
Gold: Matias Sequeira (ARG)
Silver: Hendri Yagual (ECU)
Bronze: Diego Oyhamburu

SO Ladies assisted!
Gold: Rocio Rosalez (ARG)
Silver: Carmela Gil (ARG)
Bronze: Luciana Gimenez (ARG)

ASI not assisted
Gold: Sebastian Seta (ARG)
Silver: Enrique Romero (ARG)
Bronze: Sebastian Trinchero (ARG)

AS1
Gold: Jonathan Borba (BRA)
2nd: Adi Klang (ISR)
Silver: Rodrigo Mairal (ARG)
Bronze: Christian Lepoivre (URU) 

AS2
Gold: Matias Arendt (ARG)
Silver: Marcel Leme (BRA)
Bronze: Jorge Machin Gauto (URU)

AS3
Gold: Felipe Lima (BRA)
Silver: Felipe Cardoso (BRA)
Bronze: Elias Briones (CHI)

AS4
Gold: Sebastián Ruiz Díaz (ARG)
Silver: Angel Rojas (CHI)
Bronze: Nicolas Valenzuela (ARG)

AS4 Ladies
Gold: Betina Gonzalez (CHI)

AS5
Gold: Freddy Marimón (COL)
Silver: Georgina Melatini (ARG)
Bronze: Francisco Arbulu (PER)

AS5 Ladies
Gold: Georgina Melatini (ARG)

AS6
Gold: Pablo Martinez (ARG)
Silver: Lucas Retamales (CHI)
Bronze: Alvaro Perez (URU) 

Brazilian Jonathan Borba beat Israeli world champion Adi Klang and is now the favourite to take the title from La Jolla. All photos: Zanocchi
Pablo Martínez from Argentina won in AI 6, the category for the blind or visually impaired.
Sebastian Ruiz Diaz, champion in AS 4.
One of the day's great surfers, Matías Sequeira, gold medal winner in AI 1, spread his joy across the beach and hugged everyone he came across one by one.
Matías Arendt of Argentina receiving the gold, Marcel Leme of Brazil winning the silver medal and Jorge Gauto of Uruguay, who won the bronze.
Felipe Lima broke through in the AS3 and took the gold.
Fresh from his victory at the US Open, Freddy Marimón won confidently in Mar del Plata, adding 17 points with a 9,5 which was also the best wave of the event.
Rocío Rosales, Carmela Gil and Luciana Giménez, the champions of AS I assisted.
Sebastián Seta, Enrique Romero and Sebastián Trinchero, South American champions of AS I without assistance.
Felipe Lima from Brazil, champion of AS 3, together with Elías Briones from Chile and Enrique Plantey from Argentina.
Comments:

Argentina South American Adaptive Surfing