Special coverage presented by Quiksilver Argentina

At 43 years old, Argentine Martín Passeri achieved a historic sixth Argentine title after finishing fifth today at the Quiksilver Open La Paloma and his closest rivals losing.

The closest to come was Marcelo Rodríguez, who needed to reach the grand final but didn't manage it because he came up against an inspired Lucas Santamaría. If he got through, he would have won his second title.

When the green light was given for the La Paloma championship, Passeri was preparing to participate in Chile, in a stage of the world tour.

He returned urgently and quite injured, victim of a wipeout in the La Punta surf. He got ready to compete battered and did his job, improving his score line by placing fifth.

He left a door open that Rodríguez was very close to taking advantage of.

“It is indescribable. It was not an objective and at the same time it was one. There comes a point in which the task of the coach becomes more present than that of the athlete, but never of training or dreaming of winning one more date, one more title. And here we are, 22 years after my first title, sixth time Argentine champion with the great level of surfing in this country, it is a great joy and it pampers me… I know that it does not begin or end here but I really feel very happy to be able to share it with the people I love and continue doing more for surfing,” said Passeri after celebrating the title.

“When people ask me how old I will be competing, I always say ‘for a couple more years!’ And you tell me now and you see Kelly at 47 and I say a couple more years,” she added.

Lucas Santamaría did not allow it, in the last wave of his exchange with Rodríguez, he added five points that buried the Patagonian and raised Passeri as champion, making history, becoming the oldest Argentine champion in history.