Yago Dora and Filipe Toledo shine in the return of competitions in heavy waves at Bells Beach

The return of competitions in Bells Beach, in Austrália, marked a historic performance for the Brasil athletes in the opening of the World Surf League season. Após three consecutive days of stoppage due to the lack of ideal conditions at sea, the waves finally appeared at the Australian peak, allowing round 2 to take place. Yago Dora, Filipe Toledo, Italo Ferreira, Gabriel Medina and Samuel Pupo confirmed their favoritism in their heats and guaranteed advancement to the round of 16 of the men’s competition.

These surfers now join Miguel Pupo and Alejo Muniz, who had already secured their spots before the official event schedule was interrupted. With this impressive result, Brasil will have seven representatives among the best in the stage, reinforcing the country’s hegemony in the world surfing elite. In the women’s category, Luana Silva is also still alive in the competition after a successful debut, now facing the experienced Tyler Wright in search of a place in the quarter-finals.

The victorious journey featured the following highlights:

• Yago Dora beat compatriot Mateus Herdy with a solid total of 13.34 points.
• Filipe Toledo dispatched Hawaiian Eli Hanneman with a dominant performance of 14.00 points.
• Gabriel Medina beat Mexican Alan Cleland in a strategic heat with 12.10 points.
• Samuel Pupo shone by eliminating local favorite Jack Robinson with an elastic score.

Technical performance on Australian waves

The current world champion, Yago Dora, demonstrated coolness and technical precision in his heat against the debutant Mateus Herdy, who had passed the screening. Dora opened his participation with a score of 7.17, the highest of the match, and knew how to manage priority to avoid the opponent’s reaction in the final minutes of the match. Mesmo with an aerial of Herdy that earned a score of 6.33, the experience of the Santa Catarina native prevailed to guarantee continuity in the tournament.

Dora’s win solidifies their confidence heading into the season, especially following the recent changes to the world league’s scoring rules. The surfer highlighted in previous interviews that he feels physically prepared to face his main rivals in varying sea conditions. Yago’s next challenge will be against the French Marco Mignot, in a heat that promises a high technical level and progressive maneuvers.

Domination of multi-time world champions in Bells

Filipe Toledo, owner of two consecutive world titles in 2022 and 2023, did not give the young talent Eli Hanneman a chance during round 2 on Australian soil. The Brazilian controlled the pace of the match from the first series of waves, scoring 14.00 points against just 10.10 from his Hawaiian opponent. Toledo used his characteristic speed and edge maneuvers to convince the judges in a sea that required physical strength.

Following the heats, Gabriel Medina also confirmed his place by defeating Alan Cleland in a duel marked by low wave frequency. The three-time world champion opted for a conservative strategy, guaranteeing two average scores early on to put pressure on the Mexican. Medina won handily by 12.10 to 3.67, showing that his reading of the sea continues to be one of his biggest competitive advantages.

Decisive clash between Brazilian giants

The round of 16 draw reserved an explosive duel between two of the biggest names in national sport, putting Italo Ferreira and Gabriel Medina head to head. Italo reached this stage after beating Australian Xavier Huxtable in an electrifying heat decided by just ten tenths of a difference. The Olympic champion scored 12.83 points, resisting pressure from the local fans who supported Huxtable throughout the official schedule.

This early meeting between Italo and Medina guarantees that Brasil will have at least one representative in the quarterfinals, but it also means the elimination of a favorite. Ambos The athletes have a history of winning Australian stages and are looking for crucial points for the WSL ranking at the beginning of the cycle. The event organizers monitor weather conditions to determine the exact battery time, which should occur at Bells Beach local time on Thursday morning.

Consolidated results of the men’s round

• Miguel Pupo surpassed Joel Vaughan with 14.17 points against 12.07 for the Australian.
• Alejo Muniz secured his place by beating Cole Houshmand by 11.56 to 7.63.
• Samuel Pupo defeated Jack Robinson with one of the biggest sums of the day, 13.77.
• João Chianca and Mateus Herdy were the only Brazilians eliminated at this stage of the competition.

The remaining heats showed an intense balance between the international athletes, highlighted by the performance of Griffin Colapinto. The American advanced with a total of 15.26 points, surpassing the Australian Dane Henry in one of the fiercest clashes of the round. The drop of Ethan Ewing, current runner-up of the stage, also surprised analysts, opening the way for new names in the main draw.

Samuel Pupo strategy against favorites

Samuel Pupo entered the water under enormous pressure to face Jack Robinson, considered one of the best surfers in the world on open wall waves. The Brazilian, however, was not intimidated and presented a vertical and aggressive surf, scoring 13.77 points against just 5.67 for the Australian. Essa Victory is fundamental to Samuel’s aspirations for the season, aiming to maintain his place in the elite of professional surfing.

With this result, Samuel completes the list of Brazilians who advanced in the decisive heats held after the long wait for the waves. Ele is now preparing to face the Indonesian Rio Waida, who has shown very fast surfing in this opening stage. The balance between technique and choice of waves will be the determining factor for the São Paulo native’s success in the next phase of the tournament.

Next steps for the global competition

The competition window at Bells Beach remains open until next Friday, which is equivalent to Saturday Australian time. The organizers’ expectation is that a new swell will reach the coast in the next few hours, providing larger and more constant waves for the final stages. Brazilian fans can follow live broadcasts through subscription channels and official streaming platforms.

The round of 16 heats have already been defined and promise clashes of high technical impact between the sport’s main powers. Além of the duel between Medina and Italo, Miguel Pupo will face George Pittar, while Filipe Toledo will face the Italian Leonardo Fioravanti. The consistency demonstrated by the national delegation so far puts the country in a privileged position in search of the first trophy of the 2026 season.