Special coverage presented by the International Surfing Association

The last qualifying event for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games is the ISA World Longboard Championships, which begin on May 26 and end on June 2.

According to the criteria established for the debut of surfing at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, the hierarchy is ISA and then PASA. With a maximum quota of one participant per country.

This means that the best American longboarder in the tournament that starts tomorrow in Biarritz will have guaranteed qualification for the second largest multi-sport event in the world, which will host its surfing competition at the end of July and the beginning of August.

Now, the implication of this is that none of those who placed first in the Pan American Games in Punta Rocas have their place guaranteed.

For example, the Pan American surfing champion was Piccolo Clemente from Peru, who would occupy the slot corresponding to the local country. Now, if the other representative in this ISA World Championship, Lucas Garrido Lecca, is the best American in Biarritz, he would be displacing Clemente as a qualifier.

Similarly, if for example, the Argentine Martín Pérez is the best American in the Biarritz World Championship, Surfiel Gil, who was runner-up in the Pan American Surfing Championship, would “lose” his place in Lima 2019.

An interesting situation occurs if the first place in America in the World Cup is Peru, since Peru occupies the slot, in that case, it would go to the next best American.

That is to say, two names could change for the longboarders' classification for Lima 2019.

All examples apply equally to ladies.