Special coverage presented by Surf City El Salvador - Cover photo: ISA/Pablo Franco

The biggest surprise of the world championship so far has just taken place on the waves of La Bocana with the defending champion Sofía Mulanovich losing her round 3 heat of the repechage and saying goodbye early to the championship that qualifies for Tokyo.

Mulanovich placed third behind Paige Alms of Canada and Samanta Alonso of Panama and ahead of Dominic Barona of Ecuador. They scored 8,63, 8,17, 7,8 and 5,47 in that order.

The Canadian went for right hands while the rest of the competitors went for lefts. Then Alonso, who has been training in El Salvador for months, managed to connect good maneuvers to score a 5,5 and a 2,67.

Mulanovich surfed three waves, one of 4,67, another of 3,13 and the last of 0,87; he needed a 3,51 to advance. He finished the event in 49th position, adding 240 points.

There is a regulatory chance for Sofia Mulanovich to qualify for Tokyo and this would be based on her results at the 2019 World Championships, if the two New Zealand athletes competing in the event are in the qualifying zone. (read more here) as she is the first alternate to Ella Williams who is provisionally qualified and could lose her place if her two compatriots qualify here.

This should happen and only Daniella Rosas from Peru should qualify.