- 2018-03-14
-
SPORTS
-
-
Donate to support families affected by the crisis in Ukraine ➔ World Surf League: Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, Round 2, Mikey Wright Eliminates John John Florence
Men's Championship Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast ran Round 2 in four-to five foot (1 - 1.5 metre) on Macrh 13.
In Heat 1, Mikey Wright (AUS) defeated reigning World Champ John John Florence (HAW). It was the first elimination of a reigning men's World Champ in a season opener Round 2 for more than two decades.
"I felt like last year I had a similar heat against John, and I let him catch a wave at the end and gave it away," he said. "This year I wanted to really go out there and catch two good waves."
Also, Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Ezekiel Lau (HAW) and Keanu Asing (HAW) were defeated in Heat 6, 7 and 8, unfortunately, all Hawaiians left the event early.
Rookie Michael February (ZAF) took down Matt Wilkinson (AUS). "Starting my first heat in Round 2 was kind of weird, because you don't have that first round to feel your feet," he said. "It was really tricky, the waves right now are out of the north. there's at best two, maybe three good waves in a heat. It changes from being a surfing heat to [one of] strategy."
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Mikey Wright (AUS) 15.10 def. John John Florence (HAW) 10.76
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.00 def. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 7.90
Heat 3: Michael February (ZAF) 11.03 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 8.97
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.40 def. Ian Gouveia (BRA) 10.07
Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.03 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 9.67
Heat 6: Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 14.67 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 10.80
Heat 7: Frederico Morais (PRT) 12.16 def. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 9.90
Heat 8: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 10.60 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 8.86
Heat 9: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 12.90 def. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 10.83
Heat 10: Conner Coffin (USA) 12.20 def. Yago Dora (BRA) 10.60
Heat 11: Tomas Hermes (BRA) 14.93 def. Joan Duru (FRA) 12.17
Heat 12: Wade Carmichael (AUS) 11.74 def. Jesse Mendes (BRA) 11.13
Yesterday, the 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater announced that he was withdraw from this event. Because, he was injury and went to surgery his foot last year.
"I think the best thing for me to do is withdraw from the event," Slater said. "My gut feeling has been to use this injury as a platform to overhaul and reset my mind and body. The looming excitement about a new year starting, my foot sort of magically allowing me to surf the past couple of days and a number of other factors had me talking myself back into jumping in as soon as possible against my better judgment. I feel I've had a couple of half-hearted attempts these past couple of years fighting injury and desire. The foot injury symbolizes a lot at this point in my career both as an ending and as a beginning."- source : World Surf League
