Spain Wins First Team Gold Medal at 2024 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship

two new World Champions crowned as Alba Frey (ESP) and David Leão (BRA) win first Gold Medals

Japan wins Team Silver Medal, France, Bronze, Italy, Copper

Team Spain / Photo: Pablo Jimenez

Copenhagen, Denmark – September 22, 2024

Spain won its first-ever ISA Team Gold Medal on an exciting final day of the 2024 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship (WSUPPC). A full day of SUP Sprint Races on the steps of Copenhagen’s iconic Royal Library saw Alba Frey (ESP) and David Leão(BRA) crowned as brand new World Champions.

Frey’s win came in the final race of the event and put a bow on her team’s decisive victory. After taking the Team Silver Medal for the past three consecutive events, the Spanish team were ecstatic; most jumped into the water in their clothes to celebrate Frey’s win and the team’s victory. A Silver Medal finish in the men’s race for Manuel Hoyuela (ESP) brought the team’s overall count to 13 individual medals, along with their Silver Medal in the Team Relay Race.

Women’s SUP Sprint Race Final / Photo: Pablo Franco

The women’s SUP Sprint Race Final was extremely tight and packed with talent. Featuring three of the four medalists from 2023, Frey was the sole finalist not to hold a medal from the previous event. Defending World Champion Mélanie Lafenetre (FRA) and two-time SUP Sprint medalists Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR) and Cecilia Pampinella (ITA) brought strong competition to a fast Final, but Frey had the confidence that if she was the first to the buoy that she would win, and that was exactly how it played out. Pampinella pushed hard to win her first Silver Medal in the race, while Rivera collected her second Bronze and Lafenetre took Copper.

“This is a dream come true,” Frey said. “I’ve been working so hard the last year, and when I knew I was going to do sprints in ISA I trained hard and sacrificed a lot of time. I’m so happy because I knew that was going to happen. It’s incredible being part of this team, we’ve been working so hard the last two years, winning the Silver Medal, and we were fighting to get the Gold Medal. We are like a family, and we are all friends, and we’re working towards the same goal. We’re so happy to be part of this, it’s a dream.”

David Leão, Team Brazil / Photo: Pablo Franco

Similar to the women’s Final, three of the four men’s medalists had previously shared a Final, theirs in 2022. Denmark’s own Christian ‘Polar Bear’ Andersen was one of those three, along with defending champion Noic Garioud (FRA) and David Leão (BRA), with Manuel Hoyuela (ESP) the sole new finalist. Andersen managed a strong win over 2019 World Champion Claudio Nika (ITA) in the Quarterfinals but ended up matching his 2022 Copper Medal. Garioud fought hard but was outpaced by Leão and Hoyuela, who both started well and had clean buoy turns. Leão kept the lead throughout and finished strong. Putting all of his focus into the single race paid off for the 23-year-old, who was extremely excited to win his first World Title.

“This moment is really special,” Leão said. “We work a lot, so many years. My first World Championship was here in Denmark. It was my first international trip when I was young. So, to come back here seven years later and be a World Champion. For sure, it’s the confirmation and the process to make it happen. Everything, you know, just keep it, motivation, just keep it, work hard in our dreams. And when is the day, it’s the day.”

Heading into the day, Japan had the opportunity to take the lead from Spain, and all was looking good as Rai Taguchi (JPN) and Rika Okuaki (JPN) advanced into the SUP Sprint Race Semifinals with strong performances. Unfortunately, both narrowly missed out on making the Final, but the team has improved every year since their first WSUPPC team medal in 2022, winning Copper that year, Bronze in 2023 and now the Silver Medal in 2024.

After winning the Gold Medal for three consecutive years, France earned the Team Bronze Medal, while Pampinella’s Silver Medal delivered Italy the Copper, just 18 points ahead of England.

Speaking by video, ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

“I’m so excited that we had such an amazing competition all these days. Incredible racing, amazing hosts. I hope that all of you had an amazing time refreshing old friendships, making new friends, and are ready to go home as ambassadors of that beautiful country of Denmark and Copenhagen.

“Congratulations to all the medalists. If you’re not going home with medals, still big congratulations. You’re a hero in your country. You represented your flags, your national colors. You should be proud of it for the rest of your life.”