Italo Ferreira and Yago Dora have advanced to the fourth round of the ISA World Surfing Games in Punta Rocas, Peru, keeping Brazil in contention for an additional Olympic quota spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The two world champions finished in the top two of their respective third-round heats on Wednesday, as reported by Rádio Itatiaia.
The current tournament serves as a key pathway for national teams to secure extra slots for the 2028 Olympics, where the surfing competition will feature 48 total athletes, split equally between men and women, according to Rádio Itatiaia.
While the standard limit is two surfers per country in each category, teams can earn a third spot by winning the title at the ISA World Surfing Games in 2026 or 2027, as noted by WAVES.
Brazil maintains a strong presence in the event, which runs through Sunday. In the men’s division, Ferreira led his third-round heat with 10.83 points, while Dora secured second place with 10.87 points, Rádio Itatiaia reported. The two teammates are now scheduled to face each other in the next phase of the competition.
Miguel Pupo, who competed in the same event, finished fourth in his heat with seven points and has moved to the repechage round, according to Rádio Itatiaia. In the women’s bracket, Luana Silva and Laura Raupp remain in the main draw, while Tainá Hinckel continues her campaign through the repechage, WAVES reported.
The road to Los Angeles 2028 is determined by a hierarchical system of events and rankings. Beyond the team quotas available at the ISA Games, individual athletes can qualify through the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) rankings between August 15, 2027, and June 15, 2028, according to Rádio Itatiaia.
"Wearing the national team jersey changes the logic of the competition." WAVES reported regarding the team-focused nature of the ISA Games. The competition in Peru, which hosts 239 athletes from 53 countries, also includes the 2027 Pan American Games as a qualifying opportunity, though those results are secondary to the CT and ISA World Championship rankings, Notícias das Praias noted.
How does a country earn a third Olympic surfing spot?
A nation can earn a third spot for a specific gender by winning the team title at either the 2026 or 2027 ISA World Surfing Games, according to Notícias das Praias. This extra quota belongs to the national committee rather than an individual athlete.
What is the role of the Championship Tour in 2028 qualification?
The CT provides the first level of priority for Olympic qualification, with eight men and eight women earning spots based on their rankings during the 2027-2028 window, subject to a limit of one athlete per country per gender, Rádio Itatiaia reported.
When does the current ISA World Surfing Games conclude?
The competition in Punta Rocas is scheduled to wrap up on Sunday, September 15.
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