The excellence started early with three-time gold medalist Alcino ‘Pirata’ Neto (BRA) and 2021 bronze medalist Dariel Melendez (CRC) each scoring waves of 8.93 in Men’s Stand 3.
Meanwhile Sarah Almagro (ESP) managed to slip slightly ahead of defending Women’s Prone 2 champion Jocelyn Neumueller (AUS). Almagro collected an impressive 16.93 heat total, Neumueller a 16.83.
Brazil’s Davi Teixeira already holds multiple records at the WPSC, including youngest World Champion, and today he set yet another. Collecting a near-perfect 19.24 heat total, the 2016 gold medalist saw himself atop the leaderboard of the hotly contested Men’s Prone 2, which includes former gold medalists Jesse Billauer (USA), Freddy Marimon (COL), and Jose Martinez (USA).
It was Teixeira’s ability to string together multiple critical maneuvers that set him apart and led to his record-breaking performance. And while he’d love to win gold again this week, he also has bigger ambitions.
“I want to be a Paralympic athlete,” Teixeira said. “I want to surf and get into the Paralympics. I want to stay there, I want to surf there and in the name of Jesus I want to win there.”