Update: The WSL released a statement on the incident today but please vote anyway (see below): The Tours/Competition Office and WSL Disciplinary Director reviewed the situation regarding WSL Rule 171.11 in relation to Gabriel Medina’s Round 4 heat during competition yesterday, and determined that while Medina’s interference was “intentional” (as he stated on the broadcast), it was not deemed “unsportsmanlike” or “of a serious nature” by the reviewing committee. The maneuver was deemed as gamesmanship and did not pose a safety risk to either competitor. – Pat O’Connell
For those who witnessed Gabriel Medina burn Caio Ibelli in their Round of 16 matchup at the Billabong Pipe Masters on Thursday and thought it painful to watch, there was a certain level of poetic justice served when Italo Ferreira beat Medina in the final, winning the event and the world title in one fell swoop.
Apologies for rehashing as it would seem finishing so close to victory after a season rich with dominant performances would make the loss for Medina especially heartbreaking. Not to mention he could have wrapped the whole thing if not for the priority debacle in Portugal against Ibelli (yep, this is the second time the two have gotten tangled up in as many months). But, it would seem that there is still one stone related to Medina’s controversial tactic that may or may not remain unturned – the WSL did not immediately respond to our request for comment on the matter.
That is, according to rule 171.11 in the WSL Rule Book, if an interference is deemed as a “Serious Unsportsmanlike Interference,” defined as “interference during an Event (deemed) intentional, unsportsmanlike and of a serious nature,” then the surfer who did the deed will “lose the benefit of counting their best Event result” in their overall ranking.
Rule 171.11 from the WSL Rule Book.
As it relates to the world title, the point is moot now. But, should the World Surf League choose to penalize Medina pursuant to this rule, he would lose one of his event wins setting him back 10,000 points in the WSL rankings, dropping from the 56,475 points he currently holds to 46,475. After an early exit from the Pipe Masters, Medina’s fellow countryman, Filipe Toledo, has a total of 49,145 points. In other words, if Medina were penalized, Toledo would overtake him in the final rankings thus becoming the second-highest-ranking Brazilian on tour and earning him a spot on the nation’s Olympic squad.
Again, no news from the WSL yet if they’ve chosen to take this matter up let alone their official ruling. And if silence is any indication, the League’s tact may just be to avoid rocking the boat and hope the whole thing blows over. But, it’s worth noting that Medina’s burn against Caio fits at least one of the three criteria (he said in his post-heat interview that it was indeed intentional) and the other two, “unsportsmanlike and of a serious nature,” are a bit subjective.
So, while we wait patiently for the WSL’s determination that may or may not come, we thought we might pull a page from the WSL’s book by polling fans on what you think will or should happen. Was Medina’s burn against Caio Ibelli unsportsmanlike and should he be held to account, or was it the kind of “Mamba Mentality” that should be rewarded with an Olympic berth? Weigh in below:
