Mexico City. At 22 years old, Alan Cleland can boast that he became the first Mexican to win the US Open of Surfing.
After being eliminated in the round of 16 of the Olympic Games, the Colima native took his revenge two weeks later.
Cleland, the first national surfer to compete in the Olympics, had a near-perfect performance this time around in Huntington Beach, California.
What happened in Paris 2024 made him return with greater impetus. From his first confrontation to the last against the Frenchman Marco Mignot, the tricolor tamed each of the waves he faced.
His debut in the American tournament, which is part of the World Surf League, did not weigh him down; on the contrary, he overcame each round with ease. The Colima native’s first victims were the Brazilian Michael Rodríguez and the American Crosby Colapinto. The Australian Jarvis Earle was his next prey. He eliminated him in the semi-finals with a score of 14.73, compared to the latter’s 11.67.
In the final, Cleland narrowly beat Marco Mignot. Despite the disadvantage of not being able to ride all five waves, as the Frenchman did, Aland made up for the 12.60 that his opponent had clocked on five occasions on his third attempt.
This last wave for Alan, which also occurred in the last second of the time allowed, gave him a sum (6.70 points) that allowed him to beat the European (12.70).
After winning the World Championship a year ago in El Salvador, Cleland adds this other title to his collection.
#Alan #Cleland #champion #Open #Surfing
– 2024-08-14 00:38:03
