Lima 2019 surf coverage is presented by Quiksilver Peru y Surf School Tubes

Mimi Barona left everything on the Punta Rocas court all week and fell one step short of what would, for her, place her in Tokyo 2020 with a very high degree of certainty (what chances were there of two other Ecuadorians placing in the top 6 eligible for the 2020 World Surfing Games?).

It all came down to the last wave where a middleman came down, did several maneuvers and finished, he needed little more than six and the judges paid little more than four.

Silver was an honour for the Ecuadorian, but with a bitter taste for having come so close, however, in an interview and as she always does, Barona remained optimistic.

Below is a brief interview conducted in the mixed zone after the grand finale took place.

How are you feeling overall, Mimi?
Happy, always happy, I am truly grateful to God for being here. It was a very high-level event. I couldn't achieve what I really came looking for, which was the gold medal, but I have something more important, which is having my family together here.

The last wave looked good and you celebrated as if you had earned the score. How do you interpret that?
Yes, the truth is that to be honest, I knew that maybe that wave was not going to be judged, it didn't have a critical part which was what I needed. I think I had started off really well on my first wave where I risked everything, but the sea changed a lot in there, it was flat for a while. Nothing happened, I fought it, I'm happy about that and super happy for Danielita who took it.

Did you think there was any chance they would give it to you?
I hadn't heard Daniella's score. Her first wave was a 6 in my opinion, and I was surprised. There were three cuts, which is much stronger for her surfing, but hey, the judges liked it. I thought it was a bit high, but hey, we're in her backyard.

The last one she caught from the middle down, I didn't think it was going to be a 7, but well, that's how they're judging, they're scoring like that. I don't doubt Daniellita's surfing, she's strong, that's what the judges like. Next time, I hope that some wave she catches will stop the wall so I can hit her and get the score (laughs).

Now there are two things that can happen for you to go to the Olympics: First, that you are among the six best athletes eligible to go to Tokyo 2020 at the 2020 World Surfing Games, which I know is your dream, and the other thing that can happen is that two Peruvians are among the six best there and then your place falls to you to qualify for what you achieved here. I don't know if you do those calculations. Is the hope of going to Tokyo still alive?
Always, as long as we have life, we must continue dreaming big.

You know that?
No, I didn't know anything, to be honest. I knew that this was the quota, but well, let's see what happens. I have to train harder for the next ISA.

But did you know that you still have a chance to go to Tokyo 2020 or did you think this was your only chance?
I thought this was the only chance.

The 2019 World Surfing Game won't, but the 2020 World Surfing Game will.
Well, we have to ask God to take care of us, to protect us, to give us health to stay alive and give it our all (laughs).