Sept 9th, Praia Grande
Third time is a charm, so they say, and Sari Ohara took it to the letter, winning in Sintra for the third consecutive time and taking her second world title after her maiden title in 2019.
“I was afraid of what Neymara could do in the final”, confessed Sari, amidst tears of emotion and joy, adding: “I have a strong connection with Sintra, with this wave and with the friendships I made here after 13 years coming here. It’s like surfing at home and its very special to win against Neymara because she is a very strong competitor. I knew the waves were good and I managed to catch the waves I wanted and was able to take the win.”
After rolling through Brazilian Maíra Viana in the semifinals, Sari faced the legendary Neymara Carvalho in the final and snatched an emotional triumph.
Asking if this could be the beginning of a Sari dynasty of titles, the Japanese rider opened up about her future: “Honestly, I feel I have to do something more than just competing. I brought three more Japanese girls with me to Sintra and I feel like I would like to bring more Japanese to compete internationally, a kind of ambassador of the sport in Japan.”
