Disease-stricken Gabriel Medina ignores bed rest orders after sensationally fleeing from ISA Olympic qualifier; horrifies grandmothers by partaking in push-up contest followed by dip in chilly pool!

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

Nobody, not one surf fan, even considered the possibility that our world could receive further rocking after the wild insurrection in Lemoore wherein three former champions, all Brazilians, denounced World Surf League scoring thereby leading to a word riot. Rage, recriminations, offensives and counter-offensives which have rendered the normally robust Instagram accounts of WSL Chief Executive Erik Logan and his Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer entirely mute.

Not one post since May 27.

Unheard of for the twin dynamos and more on that later.

But here we are, now, rolling incredibly on the swell of a new and almost equally wild tempest. Just yesterday it was reported that one of the aforementioned former champions, Gabriel Medina, had withdrawn from the ISA World Surfing Games currently reaching crescendo in El Salvador.

The Games, of course, are a qualifier for the much grander Olympics and Medina’s disengagement caused much wondering. Further investigation, though, revealed that the he, and current world number two João Chianca had also dropped out due sickness.

“In a joint decision between the athletes and the director of sports of CBS Paulo Moura it is with sadness that we announce that Gabriel and João will not continue competing in the ISA Games that is taking place in El Salvador,” an announcement read. Gabriel had the flue two days ago and João also woke up with the flu and considering the proximity to the WSL event that counts towards the world title and the Olympic position we opted to withdraw them from competition… if the contest was not so close we would still be in the event but Gabriel Medina and João Chianca cannot risk it because they need to be one-hundred percent for the weekend.”

Derek Rielly concurred, penning, “A sound decision, if indeed the pair are reporting headaches, coryza (that inflammation of the nose’s mucous membrane), a temperature and great prostration, they must must rest, hydrate and so on lest the virus turn into pneumonia, pleurisy, nephritis, empyema or aught else of importance.”

Except hours ago Medina posted an Instagram story which appears to show him engaging in a sort of push-up contest, fast and furious, followed by a dip in a swimming pool horrifying surf fans, doctors and grandmothers who all know that drinking hot herbal teas and watching Friends reruns is the prescribed medicine.

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Do you think his current sickness will morph into a much worse sickness ahead of the Surf City El Salvador Pro or, rather, do you think conventional wisdom regarding disease is just that: conventional And that Medina is showing wimps and mama’s boys how to muscle through like a MAN?

What is your personal approach to feeling ill? To bitch, whine, moan and carry on like a two-year-old with an ear infection or Medina up and ride?

More as the story develops.