Defending world champion Gabriel Medina withdraws from 2022 season
The Tokyo 2020 Olympian announced on social media that he will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the World Surf League Championship Tour to focus on his mental well-being.
Surfing
Three-time world surfing champion Gabriel Medina has officially withdrawn from the 2022 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour.
“The past few months have been a difficult time for me personally and it has taken a toll,” the 28-year-old Brazilian wrote on social media site Instagram. “As such, I’ve decided to withdraw from the start of the 2022 WSL Championship Tour."
Medina first joined the Tour in 2011 at the age of 17. He won his first title in 2014, before later winning it again in 2018 and 2021.
“I had every intention of competing for the full season, had made all the preparations medically (I took my COVID vaccination during my holidays) and mentally and physically, but I’m not in a place where I can believe I can perform against the world’s best surfers right now and I need to focus on my well-being," he continued.
“I don’t know how long it will take, but I aim to return to the Championship Tour as soon as I am ready.”
The 2022 WSL season will begin on 29 January with the Billabong Pro Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii.