Filipe carried to the staff medics with the help of his father. Photo: WSL
During his semifinal heat matchup with the 2016 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast champion Matt Wilkinson, Filipe Toledo suffered what appeared to be a minor injury (3:00 marker) after attempting a routine full rotation air. Perhaps numbed by the adrenaline, he continued to surf for the remaining 25 minutes of the heat, surfing his heart out and posting some excellent scores. But upon closer inspection, you could see Filipe was not okay. Something wasn’t right.
It wasn’t until Filipe came to shore that he began to realize the gravity of his injury. Carried by his father, the defending event champ limped to the competitors area for further examination. As it turns out, Filipe suffered a painful injury to his groin while attempting to land an air. The injury has forced Filipe to pull out of Bells Beach and Margaret River. His goal, as of now, is to be ready and healthy for Rio.
The injury will give Hawaiia’s Sebastian Zietz another shot at CT competition, as he’ll be surfing Bells and Margaret River in Filipe’s place.
We are wishing Filipe a speedy recovery, and hoping to see him ready and healthy to defend his title in Rio.
