Image: IF15 Social Media Team
In a press conference held before the competition, the world champion and Olympic surfer highlighted that "there are no limits in surfing"
Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, will be the Brazilian home of the World Surf League (WSL) circuit starting this Saturday (June 22), when the competition window for the Vivo Rio Pro opens. Until June 30, the biggest names in world surfing will be searching for the best waves at Itaúna Beach. For the world and Olympic surfing champion Italo Ferreira, the goal is to enter the top 5 of the WSL world rankings this season.
On the eve of the competition's start, Italo Ferreira and other athletes participated in a press conference at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil in Rio de Janeiro. Italo spoke about the importance of the Brazilian leg in Saquarema.
"We truly dedicate ourselves, seek to evolve, adapt to the game, and it's great to have these competitors who always push each other. I can say I have no limits in surfing, I can do whatever I imagine and that's cool because when I compete, if I have the opportunity, I'll really do what's in my head," highlighted the IF15 athlete.
After the last Championship Tour (CT) event in El Salvador, Italo Ferreira is currently seventh with real chances of climbing in the rankings and being among the top five.
"Yago (Dora) is another guy who has no limits in surfing, Gabriel (Medina) too, so if we need a 9-point ride, we'll take a closing wave and score a 9. We don't need the perfect wave to make a high score, so I think the standout surfer has that card up his sleeve. We're very close now (to the top 5), but there's still a lot at stake, 20,000 points, and I hope we can fight until the end," Italo added.
The first call for the start of the Vivo Rio Pro will take place in the early hours of Saturday, June 22. Italo Ferreira will compete in the seventh heat alongside Crosby Colapinto (USA) and Liam O'Brien (AUS). The competition will be broadcast live in Brazil on Sportv, Globoplay, WorldSurfLeague.com, and the WSL app.
