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Peruvian Miguel Tudela won his round 2 series of the main event against Brazilian Krystian Kymmerson with a totally or partially torn cruciate ligament in his right knee, he himself informed DUKE in the mixed zone of the Pan American.

According to him, while training on the first day of the event he felt pain in his knee, he competed and passed his series with pain and then went to Santiago to have the MRI done which gave the result mentioned in the previous paragraph.

“I talked to everyone and no one wanted to let me surf,” Tudela said.

“I'm already coming from an old injury and I don't have a posterior cruciate ligament and before knowing the results, we decided that if there were two more ligaments compromised I wouldn't be able to surf. But well, luckily it's only one. 'Luckily (laughs)'. With Aaron, the therapist who came from Peru, we did work and warm-ups, bandages that allowed me to surf. I can't even surf at 50% but strategically I went to catch good waves and try. That was the idea,” he added.

He said that since it is his front leg, the pain is not that strong but it limits his surfing: “If I have to kick the tail, it bothers me a lot; I haven’t tried and I don’t think I can do it. I am happy to make progress today, it is one more series and one more day and the fact that the knee improves 1% is positive.”

Tudela will now face his compatriot Lucca Mesinas in round 3 of the main event, which guarantees a third medal, at least bronze, for Peru.

No matter what, there will be a Peruvian in round 4 of the main event and in the worst case scenario, whoever loses in that instance falls to the bronze series and whoever loses the bronze series, wins precisely the bronze.

“Winning is a long way off, there are some very good surfers, but they are all good. I have already advanced two heats and you never know. Taking it heat by heat and thinking about each moment and trying to do the best I can,” that is Miguel’s strategy from now on.

“I have had problems with my knee all year, which is why I did not go to Noronha or Mole. I just started to feel better a few months ago and I had decided to have stem cell tests. But it is expensive, it is quite a lot of money… It was the goal. Now with this, we have to get to Lima and see the final diagnosis,” concluded the Peruvian.