Portugal team at the 2022 World Surfing Games
Portugal’s surfing team is ready to fight for a spot in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The first step will be from September 16 to 24, at the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games, in Huntington Beach, California, USA.
The teams that score the most points in the men’s and women’s teams guarantee Olympic spots for surfing, which will be held at Paris 2024 in Tahiti, French Polynesia.
There are six Portuguese athletes in the dispute, three men and three women, adding to the team that had three occupants in 2020.
“We know that of the qualifying moments, this one will be the most difficult, but we believe in our quality. We have already proved in previous years that we are one of the three best teams in the world”, said David Raimundo, Portuguese Surf Federation coach.
Whoever surfs is Portuguese in the dispute in California will follow the competition, which will be publicized and disseminated worldwide by Olympics.com.
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Yolanda Hopkins Sequeira competes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
photo: Ryan Pierse
Portuguese women’s team at the World Surfing Games
Teresa Bonvalot
Directly, Bonvalot from Cascais started surfing at the age of nine and became Portuguese champion for the first time in 2014, at just 15 years old. His first participation in the WSL Championship Tour (World Surfing League) took place in 2013, at 14. His best result in the CT was the top 20 in 2018.
Two-time European series champion and four-time surfer champion, 22 years old, in the first victory in Australia, in the Challenger Series this year, in Manly Beach. In 2021, this time it was done, making the Portugal Olympic vacancy stay at the World Games with the bronze that she will try to repeat once.
Yolanda HopkinsSequeira
Another name from Portuguese time who was at Tokyo 2020 is Yolanda Hopkins Sequeira, silver medalist at the 2021 World Games in the women’s and bronze for teams. At the Olympics, she reached the quarterfinals and finished fifth overall.
A 2-year-old surfer, daughter of a mother in the Algarve and a Portuguese father, lives healthier in Sines. She currently holds a lead in the European WSL Qualifying Series rankings.
Francisca Veselko
At 19, Francisca ‘Kika’ Veselko is the youngest of Portugal’s time at the World Games. She was born in California but raised in Portugal.
She knows the waters off Huntington Beach well, where she studied during the 2018/19 season. She currently ranks third in the European division of the WSL Qualifying Series.
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Portugal men’s team at the World Games
Frederico Morais
At age 30, Frederico is looking for a second chance to compete in the Olympic Games. In 2020, the Cascais athlete was running, but could not test or positive for Covid-19.
Top 10 on the Championship Tour in 2021, Portugal’s best result in the WSL, ‘Kikas’ did not have a good start to the season in 2022 and ended up being relegated to the Challenger Series. The World Games could be the turning point to resume the good phase.
Guilherme Ribeiro
Born in Caparica in August of this year, in Caraïbos Lacana Pro, France. He was influenced in surfing by his father, Jorge Ribeiro.
“There is a group of 19 to 2 of 23 who are beginning to say that the future is reported to the Diário de Notícias for all”, said Ribeiro in April 2022.
Guilherme Fonseca
The Peniche surfer has been playing in the WSL Qualifying Series for 25 years since 2015, with two titles. This year, he finished nowhere in the Seat Pro Netanya round.
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Where to watch the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games
The competition will be transferred worldwide by Olympic.com.