AUSTRALIA WINS BILLABONG ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES

Argentina, France and the USA win individual gold
           
Australia took the overall team gold medal. It's the fifth time in 10 attempts the Aussies have won the title.

Team Australia has won the overall Teams Title at the 2011 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games, finishing ahead of 26 other nations at the annual week-long event which concluded today in two- to three-foot waves at Playa Venao in Panama.
The title is Australia's fifth team gold in 10 outings and further cements the green n' golds history of dominance at the ISA level. Australia's last win was in Portugal in 2008.

Five Australian surfers made finals today and were rewarded individual medals, including Open Men's competitors Mick Campbell and Thomas Woods, Women's representatives Jessi Miley-Dyer and Dimity Stoyle, and Longboarder Harley Ingelby.

Along with team members Drew Courtney, Nathan Hedge and Dane Pioli (who were eliminated late in the repercharge rounds), Australia's combined individual placings put them into an unbeatable position, with Brazil finishing second, France finishing third and Argentina finishing fourth.

The USA once again failed to impress, finishing eighth.

Individual gold medals in the three divisions were awarded to Argentinean Santiago Muniz, Frenchwoman Canelle Bulard and American Longboarder Tony Silvagni.

Underdog Muniz made history for Argentina by capturing the country's first-ever ISA gold against a host of international rivals.

Less than a point separated the top three on the final buzzer with Muniz finishing on 17.00 points to Campbell, 2nd (16.77 points), with Woods third (16.23 points) and Brazilian Ian Gouveia fourth.
"The USA once again failed to impress, finishing eighth."


Former 2004 ISA World Surfing Games gold medalist, Sofia Mulanovich of Peru, entered the water the favorite in the women's final versus Jesse Miley-Dyer and Bulard and the Peruvian held the lead until the last five minutes.

 Bulard rallied in the dying stages, however, and posted two big scores to put all three of her opponents on the ropes in a combination situation, each surfer requiring two waves to catch the French runaway.

Bulard's final two-wave combined heat total was 16.43 out of a possible 20, and the Open Title makes it an international double for her after she swept the field in the ISA junior division in Peru last year.

The USA claimed its first World Surfing Games gold longboard medal in 15 years with a strong performance from North Carolina's Silvagni. Silvagni did not drop a heat the entire event, winning every time he pulled on the colored jersey.

 In the 30-minute final, Silvagni was up to his feet early, locking in two excellent scores from the judges, including an 8.17 and an 8.73. With five minutes remaining, Australian favorite, Harley Ingleby challenged, posting an 8.37, but it proved too little too late to steal Silvagni's lead.

2010 defending ISA World Surfing Games champions, Peru, placed fifth overall.

Top 10 team placings (from 27 starting nations)
1) AUSTRALIA 15,000
2) BRAZIL 12,132
3) FRANCE 11,816
4) ARGENTINA 11,312
5) PERU 10,930
6) VENEZUELA 10,342
7) SOUTH AFRICA 10,008
8) USA 9676
9) NEW ZEALAND 7816
10) ECUADOR