Historic: Japan wins the ISA World Surfing Games

Sally Fitzgibbons won gold in the women's event. Peru finished fifth, Spain seventh and Argentina eighth. Summer Macedo made it to Lima 2019

22 September, 2018

The Japanese team was finally able to celebrate at home after two days in which gold slipped from their grasp. The results were such that, even without athletes on the final day, they still earned enough points to take first place in the overall team rankings at the UR ISA World Surfing Games.

This is how the top 5 turned out:
Gold: Japan 3368 points
Silver: Australia 3093
Bronze: USA 3000
Copper: South Africa 2703
5: Peru 2605

The overall team ranking looked set to go to Australia or the United States, who were leading with all three of their women still in the competition, or even France, who had two. And this would have happened if any of those countries had managed to get two finalists (or if the American won gold). In the end, none of this happened and the final had four members from four different countries.

With this, Japan, which had already eliminated all of its competitors from the event, and with the base it had built, won its first gold medal at an ISA World Surfing Games.

The final ended like this:
Gold: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 18,64 points
Silver: Paige Hareb (NZL) 14,66
Bronze: Bianca Buitendag (RSA) 12,3
Copper: Summer Macedo (USA) 11,4

The rest of the Hispanic teams finished like this:
5: Peru
7: Spain
8: Argentina
12: Costa Rica
15: Chile
17: Mexico
21: Panama
23: Ecuador
34: Guatemala
37: El Salvador
39: Nicaragua

Fitzgibbons returned to gold 10 years later. The Australian had won in Portugal in 2008. All photos: ISA/Reed/Evans

Say hello to the first female surfer to qualify for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, Summer Macedo, who finished fourth in the event.

“The feeling inside me of bringing gold back to Australia is indescribable,” said Fitzgibbons. “Surfing with friends you’ve known for over 10 years definitely has a special meaning. We’ve worked hard for years and to see us together in the final and to do it under my country’s flag is incredible.”

“The Japanese crowd has been amazing. They are incredible fans and have made this tournament very special. Being part of all the generations of women surfing at this event is very motivating. Australia has created a positive atmosphere for Tokyo 2020 and I am sure that those representing our country will make us proud.”

This result put Summer Macedo into the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. Her compatriot Zoe McDougal is first in line to achieve the second qualification if the United States secures one of the first two team spots at the Pan American Surfing Games in December in Lima (which opens up a second spot for that country). If this does not happen, Canadian Bethany Zelasko will qualify. They join Santiago Muñiz from Argentina, Lucca Mesinas from Peru and Kevin Schulz from the United States.