The first Mexican surfer in the Olympic Games said goodbye without a medal, but he unleashed an appetite to learn more about the sport.
It is difficult for an athlete to say goodbye to the Olympic Games with a smile after not having won a medal. But for some, participation represents a turning point for their entire country. That may well be the case for Alan Cleland.
Alan George Cleland Quiñonez made history in Paris 2024 by becoming the first athlete to represent Mexico in the Olympic Games in the discipline of surfing. He was eliminated in the round of 16, although that does not diminish the impact he had on the Mexican population; on the contrary, it leaves positive feelings for his sport.
“I leave with my head held high, but when the wave comes, my head down. I would have loved to be able to get through and move on, but everything is fine, that’s how it happens in life, it was an honor and the most important thing is that I was able to represent my flag and show them that Mexico has talent, especially for big waves,” he said after his elimination.
Cleland’s name and appearance made several fans think that he was not Mexican. Especially when he began to become increasingly popular in the news after becoming world champion at the 2023 World Surf League in El Salvador.
But his expressions, such as “Long live Mexico, bastards!”, say the opposite. Although his father is originally from Ireland, Alan George was born and raised in Boca de Pascuales, Colima. This rural area belongs to the municipality of Tecomán, which does not even reach 150,000 inhabitants.
His father, Alan George Cleland, was a prominent professional surfer from San Diego, United States, and it was he who encouraged his son’s love for this sport, to the point of allowing him to finish his studies until high school to fully dedicate himself to controlling the waves. That made him pure history for Mexico in the Olympic Games.
“I will never be too high or too low. Now it’s time to enjoy what comes next from here, let’s go all out on to the next thing. Greetings to Mexico, I want to thank you for the support, the messages and all the good vibes,” added Cleland.
His competition was in Tahiti, a French overseas territory located in Oceania and located more than 6,000 kilometers away from Colima. Under different water currents, but with the same pride, Alan Cleland awakened Mexico’s fervor for surfing.
His name became a trend on social media during the first days of competition in Paris 2024, from those who posted just to ask if Alan is really Mexican to those who began to ask for information on how this sport can be practiced professionally within Mexico.
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Mexico has 11,122 kilometers of coastline. Entities such as Colima, Nayarit, Jalisco and others have access to beaches and become a good setting for the eventual practice of surfing.
The Mexican Surfing Federation (FMS) is the one that coordinates this sport and has its origins since 1987. It currently has financial support from the National Commission of Physical Culture and Sport (Conade) and is endorsed by the Mexican Olympic Committee (COM).
Now the highest standard of this sport is Alan Cleland, a 22-year-old boy who aimed to make his participation in Paris 2024, whatever the result, give greater visibility to his sport. And he achieved it.
“With my participation in Paris, I want more people to understand surfing as beautiful as it is, to take it seriously and not see it as a show. I want to tell people that surfing is an extreme and professional sport, it is not for hippies. It is a high-performance sport, we are already in the Olympic Games and that is something important,” he said prior to his participation in the 2024 Olympic Games.
Source: eleconomista
