This Sunday, Brazilian Yago Dora beat his compatriot Ítalo Ferreira in the final of the Portuguese leg of the World Surf League (WSL) main circuit in Peniche, winning the event at Supertubos Beach for the first time.
In the decisive heat, which was very evenly matched between two of the best aerial maneuverers in the world, Yago Dora scored 13.37 points (out of a possible 20) on his two best waves (6.70 and 6.67), while world ranking leader Ítalo Ferreira scored 12.43 (7.43 and 5.00).
By winning the Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal, the third round of the world circuit, Yago Dora shot up 11 places in the season's standings to fourth, while Ítalo Ferreira, world champion in 2019 and winner in Peniche in 2018 and 2019, retains the 'yellow lycra' as leader.
Yago Dora, who prevented Ítalo Ferreira from becoming the first three-time champion in Portugal, is the sixth 'canarinho' surfer to lift the trophy at Supertubos, joining Adriano de Souza (2011), Filipe Toledo (2015), Gabriel Medina (2017), Ítalo Ferreira (2018 and 2019) and João Chianca (2023).
Before the Portuguese event for the world's elite was held in Peniche, which has been the case since 2009, no Brazilian surfer had ever won in Portugal.
MARKS WINS BISA IN PENICHE
This Sunday, American Caroline Marks became the first surfer to win the Peniche round of the main World Surf League (WSL) circuit twice, beating Hawaiian Gabriela Bryan in the final.
Caroline Marks, world champion in 2023 and Olympic champion in 2024, who had already won the Portuguese event in 2019, scored 7.90 points (out of a possible 20) on her two best waves (4.90 and 3.00), while her opponent scored 6.97 (4.17 and 2.80) to win the Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal.
The 23-year-old became the first two-time winner of the championship at Supertubos Beach, but she's not the only one to have won twice in Portugal, as American Courtney Conlogue has won two events in Portugal, but in Cascais (2015 and 2016).
Hawaiian Carissa Moore, the five-time world champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, who has since retired from competition, also has two victories on Portuguese soil, the first in Peniche (2010) and the second in Cascais (2013).
The first surfer to achieve the same feat was American Lisa Andersen, first in Sintra and then in Figueira da Foz, both in 1997.
Source: Agência Lusa
