Australia Claims Back-to-Back Team Gold Medals on Historic Finals Day at the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship

USA Win Team Silver Medal, Brazil Claim Bronze, Peru Take Copper

Spain Makes History: Dylan Donegan (ESP) Earns Second Boys Gold, Sol Borelli (ESP) Secures First-Ever Girls Title

Ocean Lancaster (AUS) and Bailey Turner (USA) Crowned U/16 ISA World Junior Champions

Punta Rocas, Peru – December 14, 2025

A historic Finals Day at the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) saw four World Junior Champions crowned, along with the Team World Champion. Punta Rocas turned it on with some of the best conditions of the event, delivering pumping four-to-five foot peaks throughout the Semifinals and Finals of all four divisions.

Following a drought of over a decade, the most successful team in WJSC competition have now gone back-to-back after securing the 2025 Team World Championship. Australia claimed four medals to earn their ninth team gold and their 20th team medal overall. Led by a gold from Ocean Lancaster (AUS), the team also saw Milla Coco Brown (AUS) take silver, with bronze for Caden Francis (AUS) and Lucy Darragh (AUS).

Also a part of the gold-medal-winning 2024 team, where Lancaster’s early performances put the world on notice, the 16-year-old returned with laser focus. Narrowly avoiding elimination early in the event despite posting one of the highest scores up to that point, Lancaster regrouped to carry his strong form throughout. Lancaster’s victory follows full investment from his family, who relocated their lives to support his surfing career.

“I’ve got everything replaying in my head from the start to the end of that heat,” Lancaster said. “I was honestly losing hope toward the dying seconds, and then I had one of the greatest opportunities ever. I wasn’t even thinking about the score, all I was thinking about was absolutely belting the hell out of that wave and winning the comp. I’m so proud right now. My family moved up the coast so I could work on my training, leaving our friends and family behind, and it’s all led to this moment. I’m so grateful. Traveling here with Team Australia has been one of the most magic moments of my life. I’m proud to represent such an awesome team and bring home gold.”

After Pablo Gabriel (BRA) ran away with an early lead in the U/16 boys Final, the action came thick and fast. First, Ocean Lancaster (AUS) earned an 8.13 for seamless carves highlighted by a full roundhouse cutback, before teammate Caden Francis (AUS) exhibited pure flow in a reply that earned the highest score of the event, a 9.57, for exceptionally critical surfing. Right behind him, Thiago Passeri (ARG) was delivering excellence of his own to earn an 8.40. Within the final 45 seconds, Lancaster and Passeri caught waves, each needing a score in the 7-point range to take the win. Both posted excellent scores, but it was a 9.00 from Lancaster that sealed the victory. Passeri, the 2024 U/16 bronze medalist, won his second medal, the silver, with Francis taking bronze, Gabriel, copper.

Also a part of the gold-medal-winning 2024 team, where Lancaster’s early performances put the world on notice, the 16-year-old returned with laser focus. Narrowly avoiding elimination early in the event despite posting one of the highest scores up to that point, Lancaster regrouped to carry his strong form throughout. Lancaster’s victory follows full investment from his family, who relocated their lives to support his surfing career.

“I’ve got everything replaying in my head from the start to the end of that heat,” Lancaster said. “I was honestly losing hope toward the dying seconds, and then I had one of the greatest opportunities ever. I wasn’t even thinking about the score, all I was thinking about was absolutely belting the hell out of that wave and winning the comp. I’m so proud right now. My family moved up the coast so I could work on my training, leaving our friends and family behind, and it’s all led to this moment. I’m so grateful. Traveling here with Team Australia has been one of the most magic moments of my life. I’m proud to represent such an awesome team and bring home gold.”

After Pablo Gabriel (BRA) ran away with an early lead in the U/16 boys Final, the action came thick and fast. First, Ocean Lancaster (AUS) earned an 8.13 for seamless carves highlighted by a full roundhouse cutback, before teammate Caden Francis (AUS) exhibited pure flow in a reply that earned the highest score of the event, a 9.57, for exceptionally critical surfing. Right behind him, Thiago Passeri (ARG) was delivering excellence of his own to earn an 8.40. Within the final 45 seconds, Lancaster and Passeri caught waves, each needing a score in the 7-point range to take the win. Both posted excellent scores, but it was a 9.00 from Lancaster that sealed the victory. Passeri, the 2024 U/16 bronze medalist, won his second medal, the silver, with Francis taking bronze, Gabriel, copper.

Spain Makes History: Dylan Donegan (ESP) Earns Second Boys Gold, Sol Borelli (ESP) Secures First-Ever Girls Title

Spain made dual history when their surfers claimed wins in both U/18 divisions. After Dylan Donegan (ESP) became the first boy to win two gold medals, and the first surfer ever to win in both U/16 and U/18 divisions, Sol Borelli (ESP) followed by claiming the first-ever girls WJSC gold medal for her nation. It was a full-circle redemption moment for Borelli, who missed out on the Final in the U/16 division by one place in 2024 and is now the ISA U/18 World Junior Champion. The historic records for Spain follow on from that set by Janire Gonzalez-Etxabarri (ESP) in the 2025 ISA World Surfing Games, showcasing the depth of talent emerging from the European nation.

“Oh my god, it’s incredible, I can’t believe it,” Borelli said. “Dreams come true, I just want to say that. I’m so happy with myself, with my team. I just want to thank my father, my family, and my friends.”

Competing against former medalists Milla Coco Brown (AUS) and Clémence Schorsch (FRA), along with Olympian Siqi Yang (CHN), Borelli was the last to open her campaign. Posting a 7.00 on her first wave, Borelli stayed active to gain a lead that she held up until the final moments. With a score from Borelli still to come, Brown posted her two highest scores of the heat. Though Brown eventually earned her required numbers to take the lead, Borelli’s score was announced as an 8.33, securing the historic medal for the Spaniard. Brown added a silver medal to her 2024 copper, Schorsch collected her third medal in a row, the bronze, while Yang’s copper medal will go down in the history books as the first-ever ISA medal won for China.

Taking a somewhat nonchalant path through his first U/18 campaign, Donegan showed hints of brilliance, but clearly saved the best for last. Donegan was patient with his wave selection, catching just two waves in the first two-thirds of the heat. He made them count, however, posting a 9.00 and 8.50 for a 17.50 heat total, the highest of the event. Though Hawaiians Jacob Turner (HAW) and Tiger Abubo (HAW) continued their strong form to post solid scores of their own, Donegan’s biggest threat came from two-time U/16 Silver Medalist Lukas Skinner (ENG), who opened with an excellent 8.23, but ultimately stayed too patient to find a second score. Skinner finished with the copper medal, Abubo with bronze, Turner, silver.

“I’m just so happy I was out there,” Donegan said. “The last 10 minutes were probably the longest 10 minutes of my life. I was just like, come on, just finish. I just want this Final to finish already. I’m so happy. I want to thank everyone that’s helped me throughout these years. I don’t even know what to say anymore.”

With U/16 Girls Win, Bailey Turner (USA) Joins Prestigious List

In an extremely even match-up, less than a point separated all four surfers in the girls U/16 Final. Catalina Zariquiey (PER) was the only regular-footer in a heat that featured three goofy-footers in Lucy Darragh (AUS), Zoey Kaina (HAW), and Turner. The early advantage went to Zariquiey, who carried a narrow lead through much of the heat. It all went down to the wire though, with Turner waiting on a score that had the Peruvian and the huge local crowd holding their breath. The 6.30 that landed saw Turner claim the win just 0.20 ahead of Zariquiey, securing both the individual gold medal for Turner and the team silver medal for USA. Zariquiey made history with her silver medal, becoming the first Peruvian girl to medal at the WJSC.

“It’s crazy, I don’t really know what to say,” Turner said. “I’m super, super happy. This has been the best trip with the team. It’s so amazing. Honestly, I didn’t really know [the situation] because they had a few scores coming in, and I was confused what scores came in or not. So I didn’t know. And then when they said it, I was so shocked, but I’m super happy. Surfing’s my favorite thing in the world, and with the team support from the US, it’s just the best.”

The fourth surfer representing the USA to win in U/16 girls, Turner adds her name to a prestigious list that includes WSL World Champions Caity Simmers (USA) and Caroline Marks (USA), the Olympic Gold Medalist, as well as Alyssa Spencer (USA).

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

“It’s with great happiness that I have seen these nine days of incredible competition with the best junior surfers from around the world. Some go home with medals and some without, but everyone leaves as a champion. Being here in Punta Rocas is already a gift — great waves, great camaraderie, great food, and the warmth of the Peruvian people.

“Peru has hosted ISA World Championships since the very beginning, and we are proud to return again. Thank you to FENTA, the Peruvian Institute of Sport, the government, and the people of Peru. The United Nations of Junior Surfing is all about friendship and camaraderie, and that is the real prize we take home.”

RESULTS

Teams
Gold – Australia
Silver – USA
Bronze – Brazil
Copper – Peru

U/16 Boys
Gold – Ocean Lancaster (AUS)
Silver – Thiago Passeri (ARG)
Bronze – Caden Francis (AUS)
Copper – Pablo Gabriel (BRA)

U/16 Girls
Gold – Bailey Turner (USA)
Silver – Catalina Zariquiey (PER)
Bronze – Lucy Darragh (AUS)
Copper – Zoey Kaina (HAW)

U/18 Boys
Gold – Dylan Donegan (ESP)
Silver – Jacob Turner (HAW)
Bronze – Tiger Abubo (HAW)
Copper – Lukas Skinner (ENG)

U/18 Girls
Gold – Sol Borelli (ESP)
Silver – Milla Coco Brown (AUS)
Bronze – Clémence Schorsch (FRA)
Copper – Siqi Yang (CHN)