Yolanda Hopkins secured 3rd place at the Saquarema Pro this Wednesday, the sixth and final stage of the 2024 Challenger Series, coming very close to guaranteeing qualification for next year’s World Surf League world circuit.
Yolanda, 25 years old, needed to reach the finals of the Brazilian event to secure the fifth and final spot for the women’s World Tour in 2025 but ended up losing in the semifinals to the French surfer Vahine Fierro by just 1.06 points.
The numbers were favouring the dream of the Algarve surfer, who early in the morning had defeated her compatriot Teresa Bonvalot in the quarter-finals, also seeing some of her direct competitors eliminated in that same phase. Only Yolanda Hopkins and Vahine Fierro remained in the semifinals fighting for the final spot, and they faced each other in the first semifinal. The winner of the contest would secure entry into the women’s world elite for the coming year.
After a balanced exchange of waves at the start of the heat, Yolanda gained some momentum. However, the French response came midway through the heat and put her ahead with 12.73 points, against 11.67 for the Portuguese surfer. Needing just 6.24 points to secure a turnaround in the heat, Hopkins ultimately failed to find waves with potential until the end, thus seeing her dream of the World Tour postponed.
Still, Yolanda Hopkins leaves Saquarema with the best result of her career in the Challenger Series, after reaching the quarter-finals in three stages this season. In terms of ranking, Yolanda finished the circuit in 8th place, three spots but just one heat away from the top 5 that would grant access to the world circuit in 2025.
There were more Portuguese surfers in the spotlight at the Saquarema Pro, with Teresa Bonvalot finishing in 5th place and Francisca Veselko in 9th. Teresa closed the season in 16th place in the ranking, while Kika achieved 19th.
In the men’s event, Guilherme Ribeiro was the best Portuguese on the Brazilian stage, finishing in 33rd place. With no Portuguese in the top ranks, Frederico Morais, who did not compete in Brazil, ended the season as the best national representative, in 73rd place.
Siga-nos nas redes sociais como o Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube e TikTok e veja os nossos conteúdos exclusivos.
