Brazilian surfing sensation, Gabriel Medina, revolutionized the world of surfing and has taken the sport by storm. The 2x World Surf League champion found his solace in the ocean when he was just 8. A pivotal win came in for the surfer at the Rip Curl Grom Search when he was just 11 years old marking the beginning of an illustrious career. In 2011, at a mere 17 years old, Medina etched his name in history as the youngest Brazilian surfer to conquer the WSL Championship Tour.

However, a recent twist unfolds as Gabriel Medina withdraws from the ISA World Surfing Games due to unexpected reasons. What led to this sudden decision?

Surfing champion withdraws from ISA World Games

According to a report from The Inertia, Gabriel Medina has withdrawn from the 2023 ISA World Games in El Salvador due to illness. Medina was struck by the flu and made the decision to prioritize his recovery, aiming to be fully prepared for the upcoming Surf City El Salvador Pro CT event. He has been battling the flu for two days, leading the Brazilian surfing team representative to explain, “Due to the proximity to the El Salvador stage of the WSL, we opted to withdraw from the competition.”

The representative further emphasized the importance of Medina’s well-being, stating, “We can’t risk it. He needs to be 100 percent this coming weekend.” Although the ISA games in El Salvador serve as a qualification avenue for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Medina’s withdrawal is not expected to hinder his chances of attending.

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Athletes from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania qualify through the ISA event. While the Americas secure their spots via the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. It is worth noting that the Tokyo 2020 Olympian had previously announced an indefinite leave of absence from the World Surf League Championship Tour in 2022.

Gabriel Medina’s withdrawal reflects personal challenges

According to Olympics.com, Gabriel Medina recently took to social media to share his struggles. He conceded, “The past few months have been a difficult time for me personally and it has taken a toll.” The 29-year-old made the poignant announcement of his withdrawal from the start of the 2022 WSL Championship Tour. Despite his initial intentions to compete for the full season and his thorough preparations.

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Medina candidly admitted, “I’m not in a place where I can believe I can perform against the world’s best surfers right now, and I need to focus on my well-being.” While he remains uncertain about the duration of his break, he affirmed his intention to return to the Championship Tour as soon as he feels ready. However, his return after the mid-season cut was short-lived as an injury in Brazil sidelined him, forcing Medina to watch the top surfers compete for a world title without his participation. This recent withdrawal adds to Gabriel Medina’s highlighting of the importance of prioritizing his well-being in his professional surfing career.

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