Qualifying for the semi-finals of the Bom Petisco Peniche Pro gave 20-year-old Kika Veselko the second MEO League title of her career, having won it in 2021. The young woman ended a memorable year on a high note when she became world junior champion in a race she participated in in California in January wildcard.
More recently on the Challenger Series circuit, Veselko achieved a personal best result, finishing third in the Saquarema Pro in Brazil. “It’s the best year of my career,” he declared without hesitation as he stepped out of the water at Praia do Lagido.
In a battle with junior Gabriela Dinis, the surfer from Carcavelos needed a fifth place to celebrate, which she secured by finishing second in her respective heat of the third round, with 9.25 points (out of 20 possible), under the threat of Constância Simões (8.80) even at the end of the day. The qualification and the title were just the continuation of an incredibly regular year internally, with podium finishes in all stages: victories in Porto and Ribeira Grande, second place in Figueira and third place in Ericeira.
Now the final day of competition in Peniche will serve to find the male champion, while friends Guilherme Ribeiro and Joaquim Chaves remain in the race. The two representatives of Costa da Caparica advanced to the quarter-finals yesterday: Ribeiro will face Francisco Ordonhas and Chaves, for whom a third place is enough to celebrate the title, will face the sensation João Mendonça. Ribeiro only counts if he wins.
Source: DN
