The Tokyo Olympics gold medalist in surfing, Italo Ferreira, might not be seen at the 2024 Paris Games. Italo Ferreira is out of the running for the World Surf Championship Tour after he injured his knee during his elimination heat at the Corona Open J-Bay. The incident took place after a particularly painful wipeout while Ferreira was attempting an advanced surfing maneuver. While landing, his back foot slipped and his knee landed on the board at an unnatural angle.

The champion surfer came up waving his hands for assistance. The Jet Skis promptly transported him to the shore, where he was whisked to the hospital after appropriate first aid. Italo Ferreira shared an upsetting clip on his Instagram, revealing him being wheeled into the hospital for an MRI to measure the extent of the injury. Many greats from the surfing world sent their best wishes to the surfer.

Surfing legend might have to abandon his 2024 Olympic dream

During the elimination heat, Ferreira was up against Ian Gentil and came out with guns firing as he got great scores in the first 15 minutes. However, as he attempted to ride a stretched-out 6-footer, and attempted a high-speed lip-line floater, the injury splashed water on his dreams. The WSL CT is the first stage of qualification for the Olympics, hence, looks like the Brazilian is out for the count for now.

This is not the first time the high-velocity water at J-Bay has resulted in grievous injuries for surfers. A floater can go on for several minutes, thus causing exhaustion on the wave. Ferreira has been a victim of the same previously when he got back spasms during a heat but was able to finish despite the grueling pain in his back. Mick Fanning also injured his ankle once, during an extensive warm-up session. According to STAB magazine, Fanning also “yanked his entire hamstring muscle clean off the bone” while executing a floater.

Read more: Watch: Days Before Corona Open J-Bay, Brazilian Surfer Prepares With Intense Training Regime

Italo Ferreira’s injury seems to be on the same lines, and clips show just how brutally his knee met with the surfboard. Some clips have already been excluded from the replay of the heat due to their sickening nature. The Olympics champion posted a clip about his hospital visit, saying, “I have worked hard to be strong and avoid this type of injury, but unfortunately there is always a risk!” Ultimately, the risk turned the odds against him. After Ferreira shared the news, many pro surfers wished him a quick recovery.

Pro surfers send their best wishes

When the surfing community got to know about the champion’s injury, they wished him a quick recovery. The 11-time world champion, Kelly Slater, commented on the post saying, “Heal up, buddy. That didn’t look good at all. Hope it’s not as bad as first thought!” The Brazilian soccer sensation, Neymar Jr., wrote, “Warrior strength”. Ferreira’s fellow Brazilian surfer and previous J-Bay Open and Hurley Pro winner, Filipe Toledo also sent his wishes, and said, “God bless bro! It was bizarre, but jaja is back! You know how to do this big hug bro!”

The Tokyo Olympics women’s gold medalist in shortboard, Carissa Moore, also commented on the post, saying, “Love ya Italo”. The professional surfer Yago Dora revealed his feelings about watching Ferreira suffer through the horrific fall, and said, “It was difficult to watch the scene, but it will definitely come back stronger, take care, hug”. The official page of Billabong and the Olympics also sent their condolences to the World Champion. Hopefully, Italo Ferreira will be back on his feet soon enough, amazing us with his surfing genius.

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