After the victory in Newquay, England, Yolanda, 24, hit the waves of south-west France twice and qualified for the Challenger Series (CT) 2023, a competition to access the world’s elite, practically sealing the event.
Portuguese Yolanda Hopkins won the Pro Anglet World Surfing League qualifier in France this Saturday, with Frederico Morais the top Portuguese with ninth place.
After winning in the United Kingdom two weeks ago, the Portuguese Olympic athlete, current leader of the European Circuit (QS), scored 11.17 points (out of a possible 20) on her two best waves in the final to beat Spanish rival Arian Ochoa (9,24), in rough seas. Taking full advantage of the conditions, the current vice president of the ranking.
Newquay, United Kingdom, Yolanda, 24 years old, qualified for the Challenger Series (CT) 2023, a competition to access the world’s elite, after scoring twice in the waves of southwest France, sealed in practice, four races later, with 5,150 points, 1,660 more than the direct follower.
In Anglet, Mafalda Lopes and Carolina Mendes finished fifth, while Teresa Ponvalote and Kika Veselko finished ninth and Gabriela Dinis 13th.
After this stage, Portugal has six surfers in the top-20 of the European women’s rankings, and besides top leader Yolanda Hopkins, Kiga Veselko is third, Carolina Mendes is fifth and Mafalda Lopes is eighth.
Junior Gabriela Dinis finished in the top 20, further away from the qualifying accounts.
Ranked 12th, European champion Teresa Ponvalote, “despite being out of qualification, is “armoured” as she is in the best position in the rankings for the Challenger Series 2022. The first Portuguese in history to qualify for the World Surfing Tour of the World Surf League”, the National Association of Surfers (ANS) highlighted in a statement.
Currently eighth in the 2023 elite circuit’s top 5 rankings, “even if Teresa doesn’t get the dream qualification for the world elite, she should secure an automatic spot for the Challenger Series 2023. The best European and one of the best in this season’s rankings”, the company pointed out.
On the men’s side, Frenchman Catien Delahaye was the winner, while Frederico Morais finished ninth as the top Portuguese in Pro Anglet, while junior Mathias Canhodo, only 14, made the French competition a sensation. It managed to be in 13th place.
In terms of ‘rankings’, Guilherme Ribeiro, who won last week’s Lacanau Pro (France), emerged as the best Portuguese, taking 11th place.
Despite being out of the qualifying round for the 2023 Challenger Series, the current leader of the national rankings remains in contention for qualification.
Also, in 23rd place, Frederico Moraes, Afonso Antunes 27th, Francisco Almeida 29th and Matias Canhoto 31st.
The action of the European QS 2022/23 continues in October, with the Azores hosting the best European surfers from the 18th to the 23rd of that month.
The Azorean event will be the last event of the calendar year on the European QS, but the season will continue into the first half of next year, when the final championships will be held to determine the surfers who qualify for the Challenger Series 2023.
“Of these championships, two will continue in Portugal, one in Costa de Caparica and the other in Santa Cruz exclusively for men”, ANS underlines.
“Total creator. Devoted tv fanatic. Communicator. Evil pop culture buff. Social media advocate.”
