El Salvador is seeing some intense action at the World Championship. After a gripping second day of competition on Monday, four Portuguese surfers have safely landed spots in the main draw’s third round. Francisca Veselko, Yolanda Hopkins, Frederico Morais, and Guilherme Ribeiro all showed up big, moving closer to the title. However, Teresa Bonvalot and Afonso Antunes will need to fight through the repechage rounds to keep their championship dreams alive.
The day kicked off with Yolanda Hopkins putting on a repeat performance. She clinched another win in her heat, securing her spot in Round 3. Her total score was a solid 11.27 points, built on waves of 6.67 and 4.60. Francisca Veselko continued to impress, also dominating her heat with an excellent 16.74 points. Her top two waves scored an impressive 8.57 and 8.17. But the waves were not as kind to Teresa Bonvalot. She finished third in her heat, scoring 7.77 points from a 4.67 and 3.10 wave. This means she’s now headed to the repechage heats, where she’ll get another chance to advance in the competition.
On the men’s side, Guilherme Ribeiro was the only Portuguese surfer out in the water on Monday. He made his session count, winning his heat with a strong 13.90 points, thanks to scores of 7.83 and 6.07. This victory means he now joins Frederico Morais, who had already secured his place, in Round 3.