Gabriel Medina recorded the highest heat total for the second consecutive day ©Getty Images

Brazil's Gabriel Medina recorded the highest heat total for the second day in a row as the men's main round two began at the World Surfing Games in El Salvador.

The three-time World Surf League (WSL) winner was the best of those to advance from round one yesterday with a score of 16.43, and he tallied 15.27 today at El Sunzal.

Medina took to the air on the left of the break, an area often overlooked, as he progressed comfortably to round three.

With the top two in each four-man heat progressing, two-time WSL champion John John Florence of the United States was not so lucky as he finished third, meaning he will now have to enter the repechage round to keep his hopes alive.

Earlier in the day, the men's round one had concluded at La Bocana and saw Mexico's Alan Cleland Jr bag the best wave score of the Games so far.

He scored 8.93 for a seamless combination of three vertical hits and went through to the yet to be completed round two with a combined heat score of 15.00.

Brazil's world number two João Chianca must come through the repechage if he hopes to make round two, with local El Salvador hero Bryan Perez one of those to advance at his expense.

The women's main round one concluded at El Sunzal and Francisca Veselko scored the best total score of 14.90.

This was the second best effort of the Games so far after American Olympic champion Carissa Moore tallied 16.16 to reach round two yesterday.

John John Florence was forced into the repechage ©Getty Images
John John Florence was forced into the repechage ©Getty Images

Sol Aguirre of Peru pulled off a long ride with multiple strong connections to earn the highest individual wave score of the day of 8.50.

A group of four men and four women will book their spots for surfing's second Olympic appearance at Paris 2024, where the sport will be held more than 9,000 miles away in Tahiti, through the World Surfing Games.

These will be the highest ranked surfers from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania - with the Olympic qualification spots for the Americas coming through this year's Pan American Games in Santiago.

"It's a dream of mine to be part of the 2024 Olympics in Teahupo’o," said Veselko. 

"I'm here to try and get my spot and I'm really excited.

"I had a great time, the water's warm, waves are pumping and I love going right, so I couldn't be happier."

El Sunzal and La Bocana are known as Surf City and have become a regular venue for major surfing events, having hosted the World Surfing Games in 2021.

Men's and women's round two action is due to continue tomorrow, along with repechages.