Brazilian, Gabriel Medina wins the 2017 MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal leaving the world title race to be decided in Hawaii
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Gabriel Medina has kept his World Surf League Championship Tour hopes alive with victory at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal. – the tenth stop of the tournament.
The Brazilian surfed an incredible fourteen waves and kept scouring the lineup to improve his heat total, while fellow title rival Julian Wilson stayed slightly more patient.
His win over the Australian means he moved into second place, over 3,000 points behind overall leader John John Florence of Hawaii.
Medina was delighted to still be in the contest, whilst Wilson seemed surprised to learn he still has a shot at overall glory at the title decider in Hawaii in December.
The event culminated in some good three-to-five foot waves with Medina’s victory, the eighth event title of his career, only a short ten days after the Brazilian won in France.
Although Florence, didn’t get it done in Portugal, he’ll hope to use a home advantage to clinch the championship at the Pipe Masters in Oahu.
Florence is the reigning champion but will be wary of Medina, who has championship pedigree after winning the 2014 World Surf League.