14 year old Stand Up Paddle athlete from Mexico Sofia Finer

Sofia Finer @zoshafiner has achieved an extraordinary feat in the world of Stand Up Paddle.

At just 14 years of age, she has accomplished what many experienced athletes can only aspire to. After an impressive 7th place finish in the SUP Technical Race at the Panamerican Surfing Games in the stunning Santa Catalina, Panama, this talented surfer from Jalisco has secured the first spot for Mexico in the eagerly anticipated Panamerican Games in Chile in 2023.

Scheduled for October 2023, the Panamerican Games will witness a historic moment as Sofia, just one year after her debut in the international arena at ISA Worlds in Puerto Rico, takes on the best in the SUP Technical Racers. As the representative of Mexico in this sport, Sofia is already making waves with her tenacity and unwavering spirit. Her daring attitude and drive to succeed will undoubtedly make her a formidable opponent to watch out for.

Sofia’s remarkable achievement of becoming the youngest SUP racer to qualify for the prestigious Panamerican Games in Chile in 2023 has paved the way for a new generation of athletes. It is an incredible opportunity to witness this historic moment in the world of SUP as Sofia Finer keeps making her mark on the global stage.

The Panamerican Surfing Association and the International Surfing Association have announced the list of athletes qualified for the Women’s and Men’s Technical SUP Race categories. PASA President Karin Sierralta expressed his excitement for the first qualifiers for the Santiago 2023 Panamerican Games. Sierralta praised Sofia Finer’s historic achievement as the youngest SUP racer in the Panamerican and ISA Games and congratulated all the athletes who made the cut. He looks forward to seeing them compete in Santiago in 2023.

Despite initial difficulties with wind, waves and challenging conditions, the Women’s Technical SUP Race took place on April 23rd, 2023, with two representatives of Mexico, Sofia Finer and Daniela Garcia, both placing among the top 10.

The Panamerican Games is a prestigious multi-disciplinary sports event exclusively for athletes from the Americas, held every four years, a year prior to the Olympic Games. Santiago 2023 will welcome nearly 7,000 Panamerican athletes from 41 nations, along with 1,900 Parapanamerican athletes from 33 nations, competing in 39 different sports.

One of the key events of the Surfing discipline is the Technical SUP Race, a challenging competition that spans a distance of 5 to 10 kilometers and features technical elements of stand-up paddling. The athletes’ scores will be determined by their completion time.

The Stand Up Paddle discipline at Santiago 2023 promises to be a thrilling showcase of the finest athletes across the Americas, with Mexico’s youngest SUP racer, Sofia Finer, representing her nation with great pride. Other Mexican teammates have also qualified in surfing disciplines, such as Felipe Rodriguez in SUP surfing at the ISA games in Puerto Rico, and hopefully, some other Mexican surfers will qualify in this ongoing competition, the PASA games, and secure a place for Santiago 2023.

The event is set to take place in Punta de Lobos from October 20th to November 5th, 2023.

Lista de atletas clasificados para Santiago 2023

Carrera Técnica de SUP Femenil

1- Candice Appleby, USA

2- Jennifer Kalmbach, CRC

3- Maricarmen Rivera PUR

4- Lena Guimaraes, BRA

5- Juliana González, ARG

6- Lina Augaitis, CAN

7- Sofía Finer, MEX

8- Gianisa Vecco, PER

9- Stephanie Bodden, PAN

10- Lugar para el país anfitrión, CHI

Carrera Técnica de SUP Masculino

1- Connor Baxter, USA

2- Itzel Delgado, PER

3- David Leao, BRA

4- Santino Basaldella, ARG

5- Ricardo Avila, PUR

6- Mike Darbyshire, CAN

7- Edonay Caballero, PAN

8- Lukas Rodríguez URU

9- Carlo Arias, CRC