Dominic Barona was about 6 years old when in 1996 Jefferson Pérez won Ecuador's first Olympic medal. That memory is still intact in her mind to this day. The former athlete from Cuenca inspires the best Ecuadorian surfer when setting the goal of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which includes surfing for the first time.
"It's a dream to be able to reach the Olympics. My biggest motivation was always Jefferson Pérez. I was very young and when I saw him on TV, I would stand up to hear the anthem and sing along. And that marked me; and when it was confirmed that surfing was an Olympic sport, it was what I dreamed of as a child, that I could also be there," Mimi reveals.
How does your year start in the search for Olympic qualification?
My first event was in Florida in January, but it didn't go well for me. From there, I went to Australia, where I thought the expectations were better, but due to the sea conditions and a bad judge, I didn't have good results. Until that moment, I thought I had started badly.
But you won a WQS (World Qualifying Series) event in Peru...
Yes, because I changed my mindset and became positive. I arrived in Peru and focused. I worked hit by hit. It was a very tough event because there were two world champions, Analí Gómez and Sofía Mulánovich, the favorites. In the final heat against Analí Gómez, it was a very close competition and I think the desire, motivation, and training allowed me to win.
In the Latin circuit, which recently took place in Galapagos, Ecuador was a protagonist in open ladies and men's categories, what is the reason for this performance?
The result of the Ecuadorian team in Galapagos (two events) was incredible. I was able to win the championship for the second time, and two colleagues won in men's category: Álex Suárez and Jonathan Zambrano. This is due to the dedication to move forward, to try to prove that we have the level for big leagues, although we still need more support from private companies. We still lack surf culture.
What is the goal?
The Pan American Games 2019 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. I feel capable of reaching that, just like my teammates.
What path should you follow to reach Tokyo 2020?
There are several ways, they have established several rules. Qualification is through the ISA (International Surfing Association) World Championship, held every year; the Alas (Latin American Surfing Association) circuit is also a qualifier; these two give us a spot to enter the Pan American Games in Lima 2019, where we could compete for the two major spots from America to enter the Olympics. It is very difficult to qualify, but we have to be persistent. We are experiencing something new, because we are preparing as elite athletes. We start from scratch.
Is it complicated for a South American surfer to qualify?
Yes. I have been told to go and win everything (laughs). I am now in work mode. We must not give up.
How often do you compete?
In the last three weeks, I had events. I surfed almost every day. On Sunday (March 25), we finished in Galapagos and now I am in Argentina, another event from the WQS, the same circuit as Peru.
How is it going for you in this circuit?
Now I am in the top 25 in the world. I hope to climb positions.
After Argentina, what tournament is next?
I return to Ecuador and go to Esmeraldas, another Latin American event, to defend the tricolor flag.
In the country, more attention is paid to football, but the results we are achieving in surfing are historic for Ecuador.
Dominic Barona, Ecuadorian surfer
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