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Olympic surf hopeful Israel Barona pictured in barrel. Photo: @Israel_barona Instagram
Olympic surf hopeful Israel Barona pictured in barrel. Photo: @Israel_barona Instagram

Olympic surf hopeful and local legend tragically dies in El Salvador

The 34-year-old was in the Central American nation for a surf contest as he attempted to punch his ticket to Tahiti for the 2024 Games.

Tragic word has trickled out of El Salvador that the Ecuadorian Olympic surf hopeful Israel Barona Matute has suddenly died. The 34-year-old was in the Central American nation for a surf contest as he attempted to punch his ticket to Tahiti for the 2024 Games. Barona, a lantern-jawed regular foot, was a mainstay of the Ecuadorian team. He had won many national competitions, represented Ecuador at the World Surfing Games and also regularly competed on the World Surf League’s Qualifying Series.

Barona’s sister, Dominic, represented Ecuador at the Tokyo 2020 Games and also at the recently-wrapped 2023 Pan American Games.

The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee released a statement reading, “The Olympic Movement extends its heartfelt condolences to the Barona Matute family, following the death of the great athlete of Team Ecuador Surf, Israel Barona Matute. Rest in peace, champion…”

No cause of death given.

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26 Comments
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tim_nelsen

Bing is a pravitwavave org…

NEGATRON

I have zero sympathy for someone that spent 5 mill on therapy.

tim_nelsen

jr life guard retard~

V3 Rocket

7 mill according to DR’s article. For that much I’d expect a bionic rebuild

munnstrosity

Congrats on a life very well lived. Condolences for his family.

tim_nelsen

hard grin…hard frown/

NEGATRON

He’s just trolling for a cheap feel good stiffy. The fact that it’s a post about someone that has just died just shows the character of VS.

JAI LENNY

Could VS be Martin Potter, Taj Burrow or Kelly Slater?

ValiantScorn

Yeah, I’m a ghoul. I’m fine with that, if that makes the MOST gullible people on the planet feel better about being suckered into shooting poison in their arm for a cold/flu!! I would MUCH rather be a “ghoul”(with no miocardis), than a “fool”!

Lefteild

You know absolutely no facts about how he died – it could have been an auto accident, an od, a suicide, an infection or a fucking snake bite yet you jump to covid vaccination, but we’re the fools, ok.

ValiantScorn

Yep!

V3 Rocket

It could have been suicide. There are so many clever fools who won’t stop blathering on about vaccines and lizard people, maybe he couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel? Or maybe you just bored him to death?

ValiantScorn

If I knew I had that ability, I would get my own broadcasting network!

tim_nelsen

midnight Pandora love songs? I’m UP~Hejira sushi….Joni?

dad dad

people dont want to look into #diedsuddenly seems to be one of the more common ways people are going these days. another one is SADS. because, like that was always a thing.

BIZERKA

RIP Matthew Perry tho

ValiantScorn

Pfizer is my FIRST bet!

FL Skunk Ape

I’ll take it. $1000. Easiest money I ever made…

ValiantScorn

$1k? Haha, quit playing kids games.

FL Skunk Ape

Cool million? Whatever the amount, I win.

JohnsKnees

Excellent journalism by BG, firther investiagtion would have found that he ““suffered seizures while he was in a hotel in El Zonte, La Libertad.”

c4

Just be happy that he didn’t die two years ago.

tim_nelsen
JOB's second chin

Suddenly died in El Salvador. So… cocaine OD?

c4

Rip in peace.

tim_nelsen

non-sequitors~


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