Brazilian Filipe Toledo wins two world surfing championship

Brazilian Filipe Toledo won, this Saturday (9), the second title of the World Surfing League (WSL). Paulista de Ubatuba, the 28-year-old surfer won the final stage of the circuit (WSL Finals), held in Lower Trestles, in the United States. In the decision, he overcame the Australian Ethan Ewing twice, in a best of three heats.

The conquest of Filipinho, as it is known, maintains Brazil’s hegemony in the main surfing circuit on the planet. Since 2014, when Gabriel Medina, also from São Paulo, was world champion for the first time, the country has been at the top seven times in nine competitions. The exceptions were in 2016 and 2017. Since 2018, the title has been held by a Brazilian.

Medina remains the country’s surfer with the most world titles, with three achievements. In addition to him and Filipinho, Adriano de Souza (Mineirinho) and Ítalo Ferreira were also champions.

The WSL Finals brought together the top five surfers of the season. Among them, two Brazilians: Filipinho and João Chianca, Chumbinho. As he arrived at Lower Trestles in the lead, the São Paulo native did not have to compete in the preliminary heats and went straight to the final.

Chumbinho debuted defeating Australian Jack Robinson. In the sum of the two best scores he obtained in the heat, he scored 15.33 points (8.33 and 7.00), against 11.87 (6.00 and 5.87) for his opponent. The carioca, however, couldn’t resist Ewing, who achieved scores of 8.60 and 9.00 in the first waves and secured a score of 17.60, compared to 14.57 (6.67 and 7.90) for the Brazilian. Chumbinho finished the season in fourth place. Afterwards, Ewing achieved a total of 17.10 (8.93 and 8.17) and left behind the American Griffin Colapinto, who obtained 15.96 (8.23 and 7.73), advancing to the decision.

In the first heat of the final, Filipinho and Ewing fought a balanced dispute, with high marks. With two perfect aerial maneuvers, the Brazilian achieved a 9.00 and an 8.97, with a total of 17.97, a little higher than the Australian’s 17.23 (8.73 and 8.50), but enough to take the lead in the match.

The lack of waves made life difficult for the surfers, who took almost 20 minutes to start scoring in the next heat. Even so, Filipinho showed creativity to go for a 7.50 and put pressure on Ewing. The São Paulo native also obtained a 6.77. The Australian even achieved the best score in the heat (7.67), but as the second best score was low (4.70), the total (12.37) was far from the São Paulo native (14.27), who was finally able to celebrate the title.

In the women’s category, the WSL Finals title went to Caroline Marks. The American overcame Hawaiian Carissa Moore, five-time world champion, to win the circuit for the first time. Tatiana Weston-Webb from Rio Grande do Sul, the country’s only representative in the surfing elite currently, ended the season in eighth place.

Olympics

In 2024, in addition to seeking his third title, Filipinho will be one of Brazil’s representatives at the Olympics. Although the event is in Paris, France, the sport will be played in Teahupo’o, Tahiti. In addition to him, Chumbinho is also classified among men. There is the possibility of a third place if the country wins the team championship at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Championship at the end of February. In this case, she would be with Gabriel Medina, as the third best Brazilian in the WSL season.

Among women, Tatiana Weston-Webb already has a guaranteed place in the games. Just like in the men’s category, Brazil can win a second place in the women’s competition if they are team champions at the ISA World Championship, which will go to the best surfer in the country who is not yet classified. Luana Silva – who is born in Hawaii to Brazilian parents – could have that extra seat in Paris 2024.

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