After an early loss in the 2022 ISA World Games, USA surfer Griffin Colapinto knew he had no room for error if he was going help his USA teammates make a run at the championship.
Since then, its been full speed ahead.
On Wednesday in day 5 of the Olympic qualifier, Colapinto swept his three heats to head into heat 6 of the repechage.
Since his loss in round two, he has won four straight heats, with an average heat score of 15.37 and has tossed in wave totals of 9.33 and 9.07.
"This was definitely important for the team today'" Colapinto said. "It's all about trying to get that extra team spot in the Olympics. The team is feeling good, we're stoked."
The win streak is a testament to the adjustments Colapinto has learned to make over his years in the water.
"Twenty-minute heats take some getting used to, we don't ever do that," he said. "But im learning the format and just how to surf those kinds of heats."
Colapinto ended the World Surf League Championship Tour in 7th place, collecting wins in the MEO Pro Portugal and the Surf City El Salvador Pro.
Zoe McDougall kept pace with her teammate and won twice on Wednesday in her repechage heats to also remain in the competition.
After winning her heat 3 match with a 6.50 and 6.40.she finished second in round 4 and will continue her attempt to roll through to the finals.
Team USA has all 6 members still alive in the competition.
LATE ENTRY HASBURGH MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF
It's been a crazy week for Wheeler Hasburgh.
The 16-year-old was an alternate for team Canada, but after spending just a week at home in Mexico from a different surfing trip, he got the call that he was needed.
"Unfortunately, Cody Young got injured and couldn't make it so i got the spot," Hasburgh said. "So last minute i hopped on a plane and got here three days before the competition."
After winning his first-round heat, he lost in round two putting him in a win or be done situation.
He advanced in his first heat on Monday and then finished first or second in all three of his heats on Wednesday.
Before Wednesday's action, Hasburgh had to get himself mentally ready form a heat Monday he wasn't particularly happy with.
"I definitely tried to pace myself today, the earlier heats I had a kind of a mental blockage and was really over thinking things," he said. " I took time to write down how i wanted to feel today and really just relaxed and just said the result didn't matter, I was just going to surf. Today I felt like i was just free surfing out there.
The final heats of the day had very windy conditions, but it just made him feel more at home.
"I've surfed Huntington hundreds of times, so i kind of know how to deal with it out there," Hasburgh said. "But I'm happy with any conditions."
Three more repechage rounds will be run on Thursday.