Gabriel Medina claimed his first World Surf League Championship Tour event win since Margaret River in April 2023, ending a 1,285-day drought at Cloud 9 in the Philippines. He defeated Australian Jack Robinson in Tuesday’s final after eliminating rankings leader Yago Dora in the semifinals.
The victory lifts the three-time world champion from fourth to second in the standings, following three runner-up finishes this season. Italo Ferreira, Griffin Colapinto and Miguel Pupo complete the top five.
Robinson opened the final with a 6.17, and Medina answered with a 7.50. Medina later scored 9.43 on a barrel, putting Robinson in need of a combination of scores. Robinson fought back with an 8.23, but Medina held on to win 16.93 to 14.50.
In the semifinal, Medina took the lead with an 8.83 before Dora moved ahead. Medina’s 6.93 put him back in front, and Dora could not find the score needed to turn the heat around. Medina won 15.76 to 13.50.
The decisive Championship Tour event is scheduled for December 8–20 at Pipeline in Hawaii, where the 2026 world champion will be determined. The top eight surfers in the rankings will enter directly in round four, and the event winner will receive 15,000 points.
In the women’s competition, American Caitlin Simmers won the Cloud 9 title and rose three places to third in the rankings. She beat Carissa Moore 9.43 to 5.67 in a semifinal in which Moore was penalized for interference, then defeated Australian Isabella Nichols 12.00 to 10.77 in the final.
Sources: Globo Esporte.