The Portuguese Joana Schenker, world bodyboard champion in title, and the Brazilian Isabela Sousa, multiple world champion, shared the 1st place (points and money) in the grand final of Portugal Sintra Pro, 3rd stage of the female bodyboard world circuit, by not were able to decide the winner due to the fog that was felt all day on Sunday.
About 8 minutes had elapsed (a total of 30 minutes) of the final, when the fog made it impossible for the judges to see the athletes in the water, putting the final in “stand-by” until the fog dissipated and allowed to see the athletes.
This did not happen throughout the day, so the fog made it impossible for the battery to continue (and complete), forcing the organization to cancel the grand final.
The rules of the world circuit indicate that the "prize money and points" of the 1st place are distributed between the two athletes.
Japanese Ayaka Suzuki (3rd in Sintra) maintains the lead in the world ranking, ahead of Schenker (2nd), at the start of the last race, in three weeks, in Nazaré. The 30-year-old Portuguese woman is bound to win the next stage to be two-time world champion.
“Of course I'm disappointed, because I wanted to win”, assumed Joana Schenker. “Here it was a greater force, it was Nature that decided. Now, everything remains the same, in Nazaré I have neither more nor less pressure”, added the athlete from the Sagres Bodyboard Association.
Joana was also awarded by the President of the Assembly of the Republic, Ferro Rodrigues, with the prize for best Portuguese athlete in the competition. Schenker also got the two highest and best grades score of the Women's World Championship.
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