At the recent World Spearfishing Championship in Brazil, held in Sao Francisco Do Sul on the 28 and 29 of November 2025, Tahiti wins almost everything, leaving to the always strong Spain the men Teams Title. In fact, the French Polynesia Team conquers both the men and women individual World Title, plus the women Teams Title, what and amazing success!!!
Organization
Brazil has organized an amazing event on the logistic side, and the passion of the South American for the sports of spearfishing was shown in all the efforts that the organization has put in the event. The feedbacks by the teams and athletes were great.
Some more difficulties have come from the competition fields, also made worse by the terrible weather and extremely low visibility in the water. In fact, the competition fields were kept unfortunately too small for the more than 80 athletes competing, both men and women. The first day, in fact, the misty water made it so hard that the useful competition field was actually somehow reduced by half, since in 50% of the area visibility was so low that it was impossible to spearfish. A little better was the second competition field, but still not really the best situation for athletes. The low visibility made it also a little dangerous for the athletes being all together in small areas, as they could not really see each other. The organization correctly asked the boats to keep 30 meters away from the coast of the small islands around which the athletes mostly gathered to spearfish. This has guaranteed that the boats were not moving close to the athletes and definitely reduced risks.
Day 1
Men
In the really tough sea conditions with low visibility, despite a nice sunny day, and in the smallest competition field of the two, the fish caught on the first day is not much. The French athlete Aurélien Bouzon is amazingly strong winning the day with 5 valid fish, followed by former world champion (in Perù), the Spanish Xavi Blanco Pastor, the Vice World Champion, the Italian Luigi Puretti, and another former world champion, Giacomo De Mola. Fifth is the first Tahitian, Dell LAMARTINIERE, who will finally be Champion, sixth is the athlete from Chile, Esteban Osvaldo Sierra Morales, with only one catch, a robalo, but of 9.5 Kgs! Seventh is the athlete from New Zealand, Dwane Herbert, and eighth the stainless Matti Pyykkö from Finland. All these have between 4 to 5 fish, not an amazing day, but indeed considering the conditions of the ocean. What is immediately evident is how Tahiti, Spain, France and Italy are well positioned and already battling for the final Teams title. Apart from Blanco, Spain sees Angel Cruz Gutierrez 11°, and Juan Vicente Perez 17°, while France, with Bouzon first, has also Stéphan Foppolo tenth and Quentin Roustan 16°. Italy with Puretti and De Mola is also in great position, but unfortunately Alfonso Cubicciotto has no fish and is last, bringing no points to the team. Tahiti is also well present in the first 20 positions with all its 3 athletes, including Titouan RONCIN, 9°, and Mauiarii TAEA, 19°. Unfortunately, a very tough day for the hosts of the event, Brazil, with 3 catches overall, two of which caught by Gabriel Barra, and the third by Aristides Tufi da Silva. Brazil is only 12° at the end of day 1.
Women
Among the women, it is the Tahitian Taina Orth to immediately take the lead, with only one fish, but the biggest of the day (2.7 Kgs). Second is Raquel Stephanie Corrales Espinoza of Chile, third Rosibel Molina of Team USA and fourth Lidija Vukic of Montenegro. All of them with one fish, and the only women, unfortunately, to catch fish on day 1.
Day 2
Men
In the second competition field the athletes have found, during scouting, definitely more fish, and the greater dimensions of the area help for a much better day of spearfishing. Still very poor visibility.
At the end of the day things change a lot, as the winner of day 1, Aurélien Bouzon, catches only 2 valid fish and is 33° of the day. Also Xavier Blanco Pastor catches only two fish, but bigger and for more points and is 16°. Luigi Puretti has 3 valid fish, with two big fish just under the limit weight, and is 21°. So the only athletes of day 1 do have a good day are Dell LAMARTINIERE, 4° with 7 valid fish, and Giacomo De Mola, 7°, with 5 valid fish. The winner of the day is the Spanish Juan Vicente Perez, with 6 valid fish, followed by another Spanish, Angel Cruz Gutierrez, with 5 valid fish, and the French Stéphan Foppolo, with 7 valid fish. Behind Lamantiere is the Portuguese Erik Carvalho, with 6 valid fish and the athlete from Montenegro, Dusan Vukcevic, with the same number. So overall, also in day 2, the ranking is very tight, showing catches between 5 to 7 fish, were one single catch could make a very big difference.
Women
Anna Hilton, Team USA, wins day 2 among the women, with 2 valid fish. Behind her Catalina Abril Garay Cisternas fo Chile, also with 2 valid fish. Third is another USA athlete, Lauren Sarasua, with one valid fish. Taina ORTH is “only” 6°, with two valid fish.
Final Results
Men individual
It is the amazing Dell LAMARTINIERE to bring to Tahiti the 2025 World Spearfishing Title in the individual standings (165,086%), winning on Giacomo De Mola (162,808%) for only a little more than 2%, amazing! Third is Dwane Herbert (152,661%), not far away, 4° is an excellent and expert Stéphan Foppolo (149,160%). Fifth, so close, sixth and seventh are the three Spanish athletes, Juan Vicente Perez (149,021%), Angel Cruz Gutierrez (147,177%) and Xavi Blanco Pastor (140,132%). Incredible how the Spanish Team has done well but none of the athletes constant enough to win the title. This is spearfishing, and they have nothing to blame themselves. Eighth is Titouan RONCIN (130,581%), ninth Luigi Puretti (128,163%) and tenth Aurélien Bouzon (123,682%).
Men Teams
With the 3 athletes in 5°, 6° and 7° position, Spain is, once more, World Spearfishing Champion for Teams. Second is the amazing Tahiti, and third France, conquering the podium at its only second WC since their return to international competitions. Italy misses the podium for 19.5%, unfortunately penalized by the poor result of Alfonso Cubicciotto, a very strong athlete, probably suffering a little bit the pressure of such an event, and only 40° finally. 5° is New Zealand, and 6° Portugal. Brazil is unfortunately only 8°, but having still the merit of being available to organize the World Championship (the only Nation proposing itself) and in a very good way.
Women individual
Among the women the amazing Taina Orth is the final winner of the World Title, with 148,900%, followed closely by Raquel Stephanie Corrales Espinoza (140,776%). Third, further away, is Lidija Vukic (119,474%), fourth the winner of day 2, Anna Hilton (100,000%), fifth Rosibel Molina (90,555%) and sixth Catalina Abril Garay Cisternas (84,094%).
Women Teams
It is Tahiti to win also the Teams Title among women (276,395%), what a result, the third victory of this World Championship. USA conquers an excellent second place (262,551%), and Chile is third (224,871%).
Communication
A 0% to CMAS, what should be the World Association for Underwater Activities, and that should promote and support ALSO Spearfishing. They have moved away all the media from the spearfishing events, claiming the rights of any photo or video at the event is their property. This is a bit ridiculous considering that spearfishing is a poor sport, not comparable with football or F1, so any media working to promote our sport should be facilitated and supported. Still, if CMAS wants to have this strict approach, it should also ensure a high quality coverage of the event. Instead, this has not happened and all contents were made by athletes and teams, in the quality which cannot be professional evidently. Normally, for any discipline of CMAS, this has high quality streaming going directly on their channels. Spearfishing, instead, is like the ugly duckling, which CMAS prefers to hide than promote. If this is the case, leave it free for the media to work on the competitions and promote them themselves, instead of asking rights and banning, and finally not doing anything as CMAS, instead of producing coverage ad it should do…also for Spearfishing.
