The Portuguese Francisca Veselko highlighted her enormous happiness to be crowned world junior surfing champion in the United States (USA), assuring that she will fight for qualification to the main circuit and to the 2024 Olympic Games.
“I am delighted to be able make history for Portugal and be able to represent our country in the best way. I knew that it was going to be an event with big names, with the best junior surfers in the world, and my main objective had to be to maintain consistency and be mentally prepared, because it was not going to be an easy event to win. ”, the athlete told Lusa, from the USA.
The 19-year-old Portuguese girl, who received a “wildcard” (invitation) to the World Surfing League (WSL) championship in San Diego, California, obtained a total of 12.47 points (7.00 and 5.47) in the decisive, and closely contested, tie, surpassing the North American rival Sawyer Lindblad, who scored 12.33 (6.50 and 5.83).
“When I think of the words ‘world champion’ it’s the only time I think ‘wow’ that was huge. I was super happy and it was 100% a “shock” of confidence”, revealed “Kika”, adding that having achieved victory with her father, her brother Jaime, the coach Rodrigo Sousa and other relatives on the beach “made everything It was even more exciting.”
The surfer from Carcavelos, champion of Portugal in 2021, is the first Portuguese surfer to reach the junior world title, the same feat that Vasco Ribeiro achieved, in the men’s category, in 2014, highlighting the good conditions he found in California.
“There were definitely high waves. for me it is still more special to come out victorious with a perfect sea, where we all had great opportunities, and it wasn’t a sea of lottery, it could have been ‘luck’. It was special to have won with good conditions”, he underlined.
In addition to the world title in the category, the athlete, who began surfing at the age of six, automatically qualified for the 2023 Challenger Seriesthat give access to the main circuit (CT) of the WSL in 2024.
“My goal is to qualify for CT, it was always my dream as a child and I will keep fighting until I get there. And I also have the goal of qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games”, concluded Veselko, the daughter of surfer parents (American father and Portuguese mother), who was born in Irvine, California, but grew up in Portugal.
Source: Observadora
