SIARGAO, Philippines —  Filipino wildcard Jayuard Alciso upset French Olympic gold medalist Kauli Vaast to advance to Round 2 of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Philippines Pro at Cloud 9 on Sunday. The Asian Games bronze medalist posted 12.93 points in Round 1, Heat 8, with a 7.33 on his seventh wave and a 5.60 on his ninth to beat Vaast, the world's No. 9 surfer. “I'm so happy to win this heat. This is my first time competing here, and beating an Olympic gold medalist is not easy. I'm really proud of myself,” Alciso said after the victory. He said seeing his family, friends and girlfriend watching from the beach helped him during the competition. “I'm 100 percent focused because all my friends, my family and my girlfriend were there watching me. Their support helped me stay focused, and I was able to come up with big scores,” he said. Alciso also thanked the local fans in Siargao who cheered him on throughout his heat. “I'm so happy to make it to Round 2. I just want to thank my supporters, my family, friends, my girlfriend and all the locals here in Siargao. Thank you all for supporting me,” he added. The historic competition is presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), with the support of Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, General Luna Mayor Johnson Sajulga and Vice Mayor Romina Sajulga. Surfers eliminated in the opening round will receive US$13,000 (around P830,000), while the champion will pocket US$80,000 (approximately P5.1 million). Also supporting the event are the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and NEA/SIARELCO. Fans can watch the competition live on the One Sports YouTube channel and Cignal Play. TMT