Gabriel MEDINA

Brazilian star Gabriel Medina began surfing at eight, following his parents' divorce. His stepfather, Charlao, was an enthusiastic amateur surfer who helped fuel Medina's passion for the sport.

A win at the Rip Curl Grom Search at age 11 kickstarted a succession of amateur, regional, and national titles. In 2011, Medina became the youngest Brazilian surfer to gain access to the WSL Championship Tour (CT) at just 17. Despite joining the tour midway through the season, the Brazilian became a rising star by winning two events in his rookie season.

Standing at 1.80m, the emerging star made history as the first Brazilian surfer to win the World Championships in 2014. He continued to dominate the sport, securing a place in the top three for the next three years and eventually clinching the world titles again in 2018 and 2021, consolidating his status as the world's number-one surfer.

Gabriel Medina: Olympic setback and comeback

His meteoric rise faced its first major setback at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where surfing made its inaugural appearance. Despite his stellar achievements before the competition, he landed a humbling fourth place. Medina narrowly missed a podium spot in the sport's first-ever Olympic final, losing to Kanoa Igarashi in the semi-final before Owen Wright outscored him in the bronze-medal contest.