SA 7th at SUP Worlds

Team South Africa managed a seventh position out of 27 national teams competing, with Tarryn Kyte missing out on a final in the Women's SUP surfing by a fraction of a point. Anne Notten got South Africa's only medal, a silver in the Women's Prone Distance race.

Kicking off the final day of competition was the ISA Team Relay Race. Four members from each team took to the technical course, alternating between SUP and Paddleboard Racing.

The Australians earned their fourth consecutive victory, with New Zealand 2nd, USA 3rd, Hawaii 4th and South Africa 5th.

The first individual event of the day was the Women’s Paddleboard Technical Race, and it was with little surprise that Australian Jordan Mercer earned the Gold Medal. Mercer is the most decorated athlete in the history of the ISA and took home Gold Medals in every discipline she competed in.

Completing the lineup of women paddleboard medalists was Carter Graves (USA) earning Silver, Itziar Abascal (ESP) getting the Bronze and Jasmine Smith (NZL) taking home the Copper. Anna Notten took a 5th for South Africa.

In the Men’s Paddleboard Technical Race, American Jack Bark was the first to finish nearly 20 seconds ahead of his competition with a time of 23:24. Australian Lachie Lansdown was the next to cross the finish but only three seconds behind him was Kiwi Cory Taylor and Hawaiian Kai Hall another seven seconds later. Jayden Loots took 7th for SA, and Justin Bing 16th.

The fourth final of the day was the Women’s SUP Technical Race where a second American Candice Appleby claimed Gold further distancing themselves from the Australians in the overall team points. She won the SUP Distance Race earlier in the week. Terrene Black (AUS), Penelope Strickland (NZL) and Lina Augaitis (CAN) made up the rest of that podium. Tarryn Kyte got a 13th for SA.

The Men’s SUP Technical Race saw intense action as the best athletes in the world stayed neck-and-neck for the first two and a half laps with only board lengths separating their positions. Into the third lap Conner Baxter and Hawaiian teammate Mo Freitas began to break away from the pack, but with the two-time, ISA Gold Medalist Casper Steinfath of Denmark and Titouan Puyo of France only a few board lengths away, the race was anything but decided until the very end.

Ultimately, the Hawaiian teammates would scratch their way into a wave on the last lap that allowed them to cruise into back-to-back finishes. Baxter took the first Gold Medal of the event for his team and Freitas earned Silver. Steinfath barely missed the wave his opponents rode to victory and would end up in an all out sprint for a photo finish against Puyo. In the end, Puyo was awarded the Bronze and Steinfath the Copper. Dylan Frick got 16th for SA.

Coming into the week of competition it was known that Team Australia had their work cut out for them as the defending champions for the past three years running. The debut of the Hawaiians at the ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship was certainly thought to be a threat, but it turned out to be the Americans with the most dominant showing to eventually taking the title.

Coming into the week of competition it was known that Team Australia had their work cut out for them as the defending champions for the past three years running. The debut of the Hawaiians at the ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship was certainly thought to be a threat, but it turned out to be the Americans with the most dominant showing to eventually taking the title.

“It has been the most phenomenal week in the history of the sport, and I want to thank each and every athlete in this competition for helping us, for coming, for arriving in Sayulita, Mexico and making this a part of your life,” declared ISA President Fernando Aguerre.

“I hope that when the athletes go home they leave with friendships in the rest of the world and have good memories of Sayulita and Riviera Nayarit in Mexico,” Aguerre proceeded. “I know that some will bring home medals, some will not, but you have to remember, all are winners. These athletes came to Sayulita, represented their country, were members of their National SUP and Paddleboard Team, and did all of this in Olympic Spirit.”

For full results click here – http://isawsuppc.com/results/

Team Standings
1. USA
2. Australia
3. Hawaii
4. New Zealand
5. Brazil
6. Mexico
7. South Africa
8. Spain
9. Tahiti
10. Peru
11. France
12. Argentina
13. Japan
14. Canada
15. Great Britain
16. Italy
17. Denmark
18. Sweden
19. Costa Rica
20. Ireland
21. Chile
22. Venezuela
23. Holland
24. Barbados
25. Switzerland
26. US Virgin Islands
27. El Salvador