Yesterday, the Portuguese surfing team won Eurosurf 2023, in Santa Cruz, with Guilherme Ribeiro and Mafalda Lopes winning 'gold' in surfing and António Dantas and Raquel Bento winning 'silver' in longboard.
“It was a difficult championship and therefore even more delicious. We knew that Spain was a great candidate, but we were also aware of our potential. Things didn't go well for us at the beginning, but we managed to stabilize. It is an enormous pride to lead this team that knew how to be a strong, solidary and united group. It is one of the highlights of my career as a coach”, said coach David Raimundo, in a statement released by the Portuguese Surfing Federation (FPS).
In the women's surfing final, Mafalda Lopes prevailed over three Spaniards, and, right after, it was Guilherme Ribeiro's turn to show why he is the national champion, beating the Irish Geaorid McDaid, the Spaniard Luiz Diaz and the Dutchman Beyrick de Vries to collect the gold and thus seal the European title for Portugal.
Earlier, it was Raquel Bento who won the silver medal in the women's longboard competition, and António Dantas imitated her in the men's longboard. Gold in both finals went to England's Emily Curry and Ben Skinner, respectively.
“I was a tough championship and was a fight until the end. We have a very strong team, both athletes and coaches. It is clear that we had some controversial situations in the judgment, but Portugal took the fight to the end and won the championship almost on the last wave. This proves that we are managing to work, we will have Olympic scholarships for the winners”, said João Aranha, president of FPS.
And he added: “Anyone who thinks the European Championship is easy is wrong, as it never was and this year was even more difficult. We had a very strong Spain that we managed to pass 'on the curve' on the last day. This team is a sample of the future of national surfing and that fills us with joy”.
Competing on home turf, the national team was represented in surf by Guilherme Ribeiro (Costa da Caparica Surf Association), Guilherme Fonseca (Peniche Surfing Club), Afonso Antunes (Ericeira Surf Club), Erica Máximo (Recreational and Cultural Club of Quinta dos Lombos), Gabriela Dinis (Recreational and Cultural Club of Quinta dos Lombos) and Mafalda Lopes (Surfing Association of Costa das Caparica), while António Dantas (Surfing Clube de Portugal) and Raquel Bento (NOCAS) were the athletes in the competition longboard.
