Moroccan surfing champion Ramzi Boukhiam won, on Sunday, the Hang Loose contest, a four-day world championship stage held on the beach of Cacimba do Padre, located on the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha. Defeating Brazil's Weslley Danta, who came second with 11.23 points, Boukhiam became the fifth foreign surfer to win on the Pernambuco archipelago in 15 years, with 14.40 points. He was also able to knock out defending champion Jadson Andre of Brazil, who had to share third place with fellow countryman Wiggolly Dantas, the world's number one. Thanks to this achievement, the representative of Morocco at the next Olympic Games of Rio 2020 moved up from the 163rd to second position in the world ranking with 5,375 points. The 26-year-old champion made history by becoming the first Moroccan and Arab sportsman to win a ticket for the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled for 26 July to 9 August.
