Costa Rican surfers Leilani McGonagle and Brisa Hennessy declined their place in the surfing debut at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games and consequently Colombian Izzy Gómez and Argentine Lucía Indurain won their right to participate, a source related to the tournament informed DUKE and the president of the Costa Rican federation, Randall Chávez, confirmed.

The Costa Ricans chose to compete in the only QS 10.000 of the season, the US Open, which coincides almost exactly on their dates and, in addition, a few days before, the Supergirls Pro, a 6.000-point tournament, is also held in California.

“I am the first witness that both Leilani and Brisa always want to represent their national team. However, given the inability of the different organizations to come to an understanding when scheduling their dates, we all end up at a disadvantage,” the president of the Costa Rican federation, Randall Chavez, told DUKE.

"The 2018 and 2019 Pan American Surfing Championships have not done their part. In both years, they have been asked to change and/or modify the dates but they have not agreed. Last year, we were left without a surfer for this reason. That is why competitors are not only Costa Ricans who have been affected. There are several stars who have already refused to participate in Lima 2019," added the authority, referring to the fact that Summer Macedo and Zoe McDougall also refused their place in Lima 2019.

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“Our surfers invest all their money and time in the year, that is why we give them the opportunity to decide. And we respect whatever they decide,” explained Chavez.

It can be assumed that Indurain was replaced because she moved to the next place in the gender team ranking, which is Argentina (the two best-ranked countries in each category qualified with two athletes). Ecuador moved up to first place and Argentina came in second. There, the best Argentinean after Ornella Pellizzari was sought and Lucía Indurain finished 13th at the 2019 PASA Games.

To determine the next spot, that of Isabella Gómez from Colombia, the next eligible person was also sought in the 2019 PASA.

The ISA is believed to have sought to replace each athlete in the event they qualified for. Summer Macedo declined and then Zoe McDougall was proposed until it came to Samanta Alonso of Panama who had placed 49th in that event.

On that occasion, the ISA clarified to DUKE that the criterion is to look for the next eligible athlete, respecting those already qualified (if this were not the case, the one who would have gone would have been Sofía Mulanovich, who finished 13th).

It is assumed that the athletes will enter with pre-seedings 12 and 13 (Lucía 12 and Izzi 13), which changes the entire seeding order that the ISA had published since Hennessy was the third seed (now it will be Barona).

According to DUKE's calculations, Indurain will face Chelsea Tuach and Gómez will face Daniella Rosas.