Ithalo Ferreira anticipates “ Spicy” duel with Gabriel Medina in Peniche

“ Para me is a very special moment to be able to compete with these 'faces', which always raise the level. I've had great moments with Gabriel, both here in Portugal and elsewhere on the planet. We have always had good fights,” said the world champion in 2019 and gold medal at the Tokyo2020 Olympic Games, which has already won in Peniche twice (2018 and 2019).

According to the official data of the World Surf League (WSL), of the 13 clashes between Ferreira and Medina, the advantage lies with Ithalo, who has eight victories against five triumphs of Gabriel.

The semi-finals and finals of the elite surf race in Peniche can advance today at Supertubes Beach, with the organization launching on Tuesday the ‘yellow alert’, and marking the call to 13:00 (Lisbon time), and the clash between Ithalo Ferreira and Gabriel Medina, three world champion (2014, 2018 and 2021), who raised the trophy in Supertubes in 2017, is the most awaited, for the rivalry between the two.

“ This will spice up our battery and our dispute. But I get a little more focused on me, so that I can, in fact, take the best waves and make a good presentation, which is what I will think for the next battery ", stressed Ithalo Ferreira.

In addition to wanting to repeat the victories that he has already achieved in Portugal, the 32-year-old surfer, from Baía Formosa, in Rio Grande do Norte, also wants to be crowned world champion, admitting that he is “totally focused” on this goal.

“The walk is long, in fact. We have big fights by the end of the year. We have to complete this [Peniche] stage, then the Philippines and Hawaii, [proves] that gives many points to whoever wins. So it's a very long walk, a journey. Just stay focused, focused and keep firm”, he said.

In addition, Ithalo Ferreira stressed that the waves of Supertubes fit very well with their versatile style of surfing, with a mixture of maneuvers on the wall of the wave, aerial maneuvers and ‘tubes’.

“That’s the good thing about Supertubes. We have good combinations, we can actually ‘mix’ surfing and adapt quickly to these conditions. That's why I think it fits me a lot, both to the left, and to the right ", signaled.

And he shot: “And you have a very short time to catch another wave. So that's why it becomes better to compete in places where you can actually get waved and the more you surf, the better you ‘perform’ in my case. So I feel very confident here.”.

In addition to the ‘battle’ between Ithalo Ferreira and Gabriel Media, in the second semifinal, Yago Dora, world champion in title and winner of the Peniche stage in 2025, faces Griffin Colapinto, who has already won in Peniche in 2022 and 2024, in another battle of ‘giants’.

In the women's race, in the first semifinal they will face the Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson and North American Caitlin Simmers, world champion in 2024, and winner of the Portuguese stage in 2023.

The other duel is between North American Lakey Peterson, world runner-up in 2018 and finalist won in Peniche in 2022, and Australian Molly Picklum, world champion who last year fell in the semi-finals in Supertubes.

Thus, among the last eight surfers in competition (four men and four women), there are five world champions fighting for victory in Portugal.

The Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal, 10th and prepenultimate stage of the main circuit of WSL, began on October 16 at Supertubes Beach in Peniche, and the waiting period extends until Sunday.