Alan Cleland

Alan George Cleland Quiñonez (born 2 June 2002) is a Mexican surfer. He won a gold medal at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games and is qualified to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Cleland and the second or maternal family name is Quiñonez.
Alan Cleland
Personal information
Born (2002-06-02) 2 June 2002
Boca de Pascuales, Colima, Mexico
Surfing career
SponsorsQuiksilver, TPatterson Surfboards, Oakley, Futures, Proline, Nixon[1]
Surfing specifications
StanceRegular
Medal record
Surfing
Representing  Mexico
World Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 La BocanaMen
World Junior Championship
Silver medal – second place 2019 Huntington BeachUnder-18

Early life

Cleland was born in the beachside town of Boca de Pascuales, Colima, Mexico, to a Mexican mother and an American father.[2][3] His father, Alan Cleland Sr., was a pro surfer from the San Diego area who had relocated to Boca de Pascuales and married a local woman.[2] Alan Jr. did not begin learning English until he was six years old, and he attended a public primary school before switching to a home school curriculum.[2]

Cleland began surfing at a young age in his hometown, which is known for its rough waters, though he soon moved to California to further develop his talent.[4] In 2014, he began representing his birth country in competitions.[3][4]

Career

Cleland began competing on the World Surf League (WSL) Men's Junior Tour in 2015. The following year, at the age of 14, he competed in the under-18 category at the ISA World Junior Championship.[5] Cleland made his WSL Qualifying Series debut in 2017, placing 25th at the Powerade Surf Open in Acapulco. He also took first place in the under-16 category.[6] At the 2017 ISA World Junior Championship, Cleland competed in both the under-16 and under-18 categories after capturing national titles at both age groups.[7] He finished in third place in the juvenile category at the 2018 US Open of Surfing.[8] In 2019, Cleland won a silver medal in the under-18 category at the ISA World Junior Championship, which was held in Huntington Beach, California.[9][10] In 2022, Cleland earned his first WSL Junior Tour victory at the Live Like Zander Junior Pro in Barbados.[11]

Cleland won the gold medal at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador, becoming the second Mexican man to win gold at the event (after Jhony Corzo in 2017).[12] He recorded three of the top ten highest-scoring waves of the competition, including a 9.73 in the final.[13][14] Two months later in August 2023, Cleland officially qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[15] Since Jordy Smith of South Africa earned qualification both through the World Surfing Games (WSG) and the WSL Championship Tour, his WSG slot as the highest-finishing African surfer would normally have been given to the next ranked African, which was Teva Bouchgua of Morocco.[15] However, the qualification system required a top 30 placement and Bouchgua finished 31st, meaning the WSG slot was re-allocated to the highest-finishing eligible surfer, regardless of continent, which was Cleland.[15] He became the first Mexican surfer to ever qualify for the Olympics.[15]

Results

Victories
Juniors Tour
Year Event Venue Country
2022Live Like Zander Junior ProBathsheba Barbados

References
  1. "Alan Cleland". Vans Pipe Masters. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  2. Tierney, Jamie (23 July 2019). "Meet: Mexico's teen version of Jack Robinson/Bruce Irons/John John Florence!". BeachGrit. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  3. García, Andrea (17 August 2023). "Alan Cleland Jr., el primer surfista mexicano en clasificarse a unos Juegos Olímpicos". Informador.mx (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  4. Rueda, José Ángel (16 August 2023). "¿Quién es Alan Cleland? El primer el surfista mexicano que irá a Juegos Olímpicos". Esto.com.mx (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. González Santana, Candelario (18 September 2016). "Avanza Colimote Cleland en Mundial Juvenil de Surfing". MAG Deportes (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  6. Ávila, Isaac (20 July 2017). "Carlos Muñoz, Maya Larripa Y Alan Cleland Ganan El Powerade SOA 2017". Planeta Surf (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  7. González Santana, Candelario (23 September 2017). "Puestos Colimotes en Mundial Juvenil de Surf". MAG Deportes (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  8. "Alan Cleland de México finalizó tercero en la final juvenil del US Open". DukeSurf.com (in Spanish). 4 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  9. "Alan Cleland es el nuevo vicecampeón mundial sub 18 de la ISA". DukeSurf.com (in Spanish). 3 November 2019. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  10. Connelly, Laylan (4 November 2019). "USA junior surf team tops 43 nations to earn gold at world championships in Huntington Beach". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  11. Nichols, Andrew (3 April 2022). "Four Winners Crowned At Barbados Surf Pro And Live Like Zander Junior Pro". World Surf League. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  12. Cruz, Carlos (7 June 2023). "El mexicano Alan Cleland es campeón mundial de surf". Milenio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  13. Smirnova, Lena (7 June 2023). "Alan Cleland, Tatiana Weston-Webb and Peru win world titles at 2023 ISA World Surfing Games as two more Paris 2024 quotas are awarded". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  14. Bowcutt, Christian (8 June 2023). "Jordy Smith Just Became Alan Cleland's Favorite Surfer". Stab Mag. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  15. Quarnstrom, Evan (16 August 2023). "Alan Cleland Becomes First Mexican Surfer to Qualify for the Olympics". The Inertia. Archived from the original on 16 August 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
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