Thousands of spectators lined the waterfront of Arecibo to watch Gabriel Medina and Sally Fitzgibbons claim victory in the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games (WSG).
The four-to-six foot swell hitting the reef break of Rastrial provided the canvas for an incredibly exciting Finals Day that held team world championships, national Olympic slots and personal gold medals on the line.
Throughout a long week of varying conditions, nothing could hold back the unstoppable train of Gabriel Medina (BRA), the three-time WSL Champion and 2010 ISA U/18 World Junior Champion, who didn’t put a single foot wrong during the entire event, convincingly winning every single heat he entered.
His victory, along with a silver medal from defending champion Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), helped to deliver a triple-coup for Brazil, as they took home the Team World Championship, along with both of the individual Olympic slots available for the highest ranked eligible teams, separated by gender.
“The way it went, I got really emotional,” Medina said.
"Because in the middle of the heat I was like ok, maybe I need another score, because Ramzi got two bombs and I was waiting for a surprise, you know, a surprise by God, because I was thinking no way Kauli or Joan was not going to get second, but I was like whatever, I have the faith, God’s is guiding, so let’s go, let’s have fun. So I tried to have fun in the heat, don’t worry about the others. I knew my fight, there was nothing I could do other than surfing.”
Brazil will now have the largest field of surfers in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, three men and three women.
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) increased her own record as the winningest surfer in ISA history even further as she claimed an unprecedented fifth gold medal (4 ISA World Surfing Games and 1 ISA World Juniors).
Maintaining herself in the Main Round through till Finals Day, the 33-year-old fell into repechage in the last step before the Grand Final, surfing three heats today, before peaking when it mattered most to further highlight her name in the history books and deliver Australia a team bronze medal in the process.
“I am in disbelief,” Fitzgibbons, also the 2007 ISA U/18 World Junior gold medalist, said.
“This wave profile has challenged me all week and I knew I had to just keep putting myself in the conversation and just try and navigate all those heats and get to that Final. I really tried to just relax into my surfing and look for some of those bigger sections because they’re the most fun, and flarey surfing is going to win that Final.”
“Within my story I’ve had many of these moments where there’s these near misses,” Fitzgibbons said. “I try to really just look at what is happening and for me to do everything I can. To win that gold medal for my country, that moment is now, and that’s all I could do in my control. I’ve learnt to roll with those and really see the beauty in them. There is disappointment there, but on the other side I just couldn’t be more stoked and that’s what I focus on.”
ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:
“What an incredible day, week and championship. We will never forget Puerto Rico, we will never forget this best World Surfing Games ever. We go home as ambassadors of Puerto Rico. Our hope is to be back. Congratulations to all the athletes, to all the delegations. We will see you in July in Teahupo’o for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
2024 ISA World Surfing Games | Results
Team Rankings
Gold - Brazil
Silver - France
Bronze - Australia
Copper - Spain
Women
Gold - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Silver - Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
Bronze - Johanne Defay (FRA)
Copper - Nadia Erostarbe (ESP)
Men
Gold - Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Silver - Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
Bronze - Kauli Vaast (FRA)
Copper - Joan Duru (FRA)
NATIONS WITH EXTRA OLYMPIC SLOT
2024 WSG
Women - Brazil
Men - Brazil
2022 WSG
Women - USA
Men - Japan
PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED ATHLETES FROM 2024 WSG
Women
Anat Lelior (ISR)
Camilla Kemp (GER)
Janire Gonzalez-Extabarri (ESP)
Nadia Erostarbe (ESP)
Siqi Yang (CHN)
Sol Aguirre (PER)
Taina Hinckel (BRA)
Yolanda Sequeira (POR)
Men
Alonso Correa (PER)
Andy Criere (ESP)
Joan Duru (FRA)
Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
Rio Waida (INA)
Tim Elter (GER)
PREVIOUSLY QUALIFIED ATHLETES
Women
Qualified via 2023 ISA WSG
Saffi Vette (NZL)
Sarah Baum (RSA)
Shino Matsuda (JPN)
Vahine Fierro (FRA)
Qualified via WSL Championship Tour
Brisa Hennessy (CRC)
Carissa Moore (USA)
Caroline Marks (USA)
Johanne Defay (FRA)
Molly Picklum (AUS)
Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
Teresa Bonvalot (POR)
Tyler Wright (AUS)
Men
Qualified via 2023 ISA WSG
Alan Cleland Jr (MEX)
Billy Stairmand (NZL)
Kauli Vaast (FRA)
Reo Inaba (JPN)
Qualified via WSL Championship Tour
Ethan Ewing (AUS)
Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Jack Robinson (AUS)
João Chianca (BRA)
John John Florence (USA)
Jordy Smith (RSA)
Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
3 мар 2024
