Italian surfer Leonardo Fioravanti beat Brazilian Ítalo Ferreira in the final of the Punta Roca stage, in El Salvador, held this Saturday (13). The feat guaranteed Fioravanti his first title in the WSL world elite, marking a historic moment as the first athlete from Italy to win a stage of the circuit. At 28, he also rose to third place in the global rankings.
The victory in Punta Roca represents the third final for Fioravanti since joining the tour in 2017, but it is the first triumph against Ítalo Ferreira, who had a record of three victories over the Italian. To underline his dominance in the competition, Fioravanti recorded three of the five highest scores of the stage, with scores of 9.00, 8.50 and 8.33, demonstrating a consistent performance throughout the event.
Ítalo Ferreira’s second place comes in a challenging period for the world champion. Shortly before the start of the competition in Punta Roca, the Brazilian athlete was involved in an incident during training in El Salvador, where he was hit by another surfer. The accident resulted in an injury to his right knee, which required the application of eight surgical stitches, raising questions about his performance in the final.
Fioravanti’s dominant performance in the grand final
Leonardo Fioravanti started the decisive heat with a display of skill, securing a score of 8.33. Ítalo Ferreira tried to react promptly, but was unable to capitalize on the wave, obtaining only 3.60 points. The Italian surfer soon consolidated his advantage by adding a 6.17 to his score, establishing a score of 14.50, while the Brazilian added 5.33.
With around eight minutes left in the contest, Ítalo managed to perform an impressive maneuver, which included an aerial, resulting in a score of 7.50. However, Fioravanti gave his opponent no chance, quickly recording another 7.00 points. The Italian finished the heat with a total of 15.33, surpassing the 10.90 of the surfer from Rio Grande do Norte, celebrating with euphoria Italy’s historic victory in the WSL.
Carissa Moore secures second consecutive championship of the season
Hawaiian Carissa Moore, holder of five world titles, secured her second consecutive victory of the season, triumphing over Australian Tyler Wright this Saturday night. The athlete, who had already celebrated victory in the Raglan stage, in New Zealand, reversed the score against her opponent in the last five minutes of the heat.
The women’s final started with waves that provided few significant opportunities for both surfers. On her second attempt, Carissa Moore scored 5.50 points. Tyler Wright responded with a solid finish, achieving 7.67. The Hawaiian then obtained the highest score in the heat, with 8.33. With six minutes remaining, the Australian regained the lead with 6.17. However, Moore was able to take advantage of the remaining time to seal the victory with a 6.77, totaling 15.10 points against Wright’s 13.84.
Official scoreboard for the finals in El Salvador
- Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 15.33 x 10.90 Italo Ferreira (BRA)
- Carissa Moore (HAV) 15.10 x 13.84 Tyler Wright (AUS)
