Ecuadorian surfer Israel Barona passes away at age 34

Israel Barona, a 34-year-old surfer from Ecuador, has died in El Salvador on Tuesday, 31 October.

He had been in the Central American nation for a competition.

Barona took up surfing when he was 10 years old and started competing at the national level five years later. He has since won several national competitions and has also represented Ecuador at the World Surfing Games and Bolivarian Games, in addition to regularly taking part in event's on the Men's Qualifying Series of the World Surf League (WSL).

Barona's sister Dominic Barona is a Tokyo 2020 Olympian and competed in the women's surfing competition at the 2023 Pan American Games this week.

"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...," the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee published on the social network X (formerly Twitter).