Costa Rican surfing star Leilani McGonagle gave the country its first medal at the 2017 ISA World Surfing Games, in Biarritz, France on Monday.
The Pavones surfer won a bronze medal and scored a 8.4, despite facing problems with the lack of good waves. Two local surfers, Johanne Defay and Pauline Ado, took the top two spots.
“I wanted to do my best for my country. [The bronze] is not exactly what I wanted. I wanted the gold for the team, but it wasn’t possible this time,” she said in a statement from the Costa Rica Surf Federation.
The medal is McGonagle’s fifth at a World Surfing competition.
The other Tica surfer, Emilie Gussoni, also had a good performance and ranked in the top 25 among 96 surfers.
Bronce🥉#ISAWSG @ISAsurfing pic.twitter.com/sY2KY3GhHk
— Leilani McGonagle (@LeilaniMcGonagl) May 22, 2017
Men’s round
Jair Perez recorded the second-best wave and second-highest combination of the day at 15.26 (8.93 + 6.33).
Costa Rican champion Anthony Fillingim topped surfers from Germany, Switzerland and Wales and won his heat. He ended the day with the sixth-highest score.
Jason Torres y Leonardo Calvo will compete on Tuesday for a chance in the next round.
Results so far allowed Team Costa Rica to end the third day in fifth place at the World Games, an event that brings together surfers from 47 countries.
The Ticos placed fifth at last year’s games, which Costa Rica hosted in the Central Pacific town of Jacó.
