Top Surfers Face Elimination at ISA World Surfing Games 2025
La Bocana, El Sunzal – The sixth day of competition at the ISA World Surfing Games 2025 saw several highly-ranked surfers knocked out of the main round, intensifying the pressure as athletes battle for coveted Olympic qualification spots.The stakes are particularly high as surfers now navigate the repechage, a second-chance bracket, to remain in contention for a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The ISA World Surfing Games serve as a crucial qualifying event for the Olympics, with surfers accumulating points toward national team rankings. A strong showing in el Sunzal is vital for countries hoping to maximize their representation in the surfing competition at Paris 2024. The event draws top talent from around the globe, including competitors from Portugal, Brazil, Australia, Costa Rica, and the United States.
Costa Rican surfer Leilani McGonagle demonstrated resilience on Thursday, successfully advancing thru three repechage rounds. She secured her spot with a score of 14.93 in her final heat, defeating Brazil’s Laura Raupp. “it was a long day. Three heats is a lot of heats, especially in this heat and at this level,” McGonagle told Olympics.com. ”I was just really excited to be able to do my best heat at the end of the day as it gives me more confidence into tomorrow.”
McGonagle’s performance included a notable 8.33-point wave on Wednesday, a move she’d been refining in training. She attributes her success in the repechage to a growing sense of confidence. “I feel like I have a little bit more confidence after repechage. I was very frustrated and had some tricky heats where the ocean just didn’t go my way,” she explained. “So having probably one of the best performances yesterday – I pulled a move that I’d been working on for a long time in my practices – that felt really good and it just told me, ‘OK, everything happens for a reason and this is probably yours so just keep building that confidence’.”
Beyond technical skill, McGonagle emphasized the importance of recovery, prioritizing rest and nutrition. “It’s been a long day. I’ll probably go home and shower and eat a lot of food,” she said. “Yesterday I ate two dinners so maybe that’s the go-to today too.”
