Costa Rican surfer, Leilani McGonagle, secured third place in the Challenger Series competition in the U.S. Open of Surfing on Sunday.

Yesterday the U.S. Open of Surfing concluded. This is recognized as the biggest surf contest globally where over 100 top-tier surfers took part in the competition held at the iconic Huntington Beach Pier in California.

According to the Surfing Federation's report, Mcgonagle received a score of 12.80 points in his competition against Sally Fitzgibbons from Australia, who ultimately won with 13.20 points.

The surfer from Australia successfully progressed to the tournament's final, while the competitor from Costa Rica was eliminated and currently holds the third position in the ranking.

"It hurts a little to have come so close to the final and not make it, but I'm proud of myself for all the hard work I've put in to get here," Mcgonagle shared after learning the result. "My emotions can sometimes overwhelm me, but I'm a strong person and I'll keep working with passion and heart."

The result obtained in the U.S. Open is the best of the season for the Costa Rican, the Federation said.

Mcgonagle's upcoming competition is the Challenger Series, scheduled for October at Ericeira Beach in Portugal.

One positive outcome for Costa Rica was the achievement of blind surfer Henry Martinez. In June, he won a silver medal at the Open Pro-Adaptive Surfing event held in Boca Barranca Beach, located in the Puntarenas Province.

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