SA's Jordy Smith narrowly avoids elimination at Tahiti Pro
'That's why I started surfing, was to have the potential wave in my life. This is so satisfying for the soul. And I love competition and competing, but when it comes to the opportunity to get the wave of your life, that's just as important to me,' he said. 'Now we're competing and I'm still healthy, my body's intact, and I won my first heat, so I'm psyched.'
South Africa's Jordy Smith, ranked No 2 in the world, narrowly avoided a loss in the elimination round with a late, near-perfect 9.5 against trials winner Teiva Tairoa of Tahiti.
But Japan's Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Kanoa Igarashi, ranked fourth in the world going into Tahiti, went down to local wild card Mihimana Braye in the elimination round, jeopardising his chance of making the finals in Fiji.
Two-time world champion Filipe Toledo of Brazil also lost in the elimination round, putting an end to his hopes of making the top five.
When the women's competition gets under way, probably on Friday, 12-year-old Kelia Gallina will make history by becoming the youngest ever competitor in a world championship tour event.
Gallina, who started surfing Teahupo'o before she was five years old, won the trials event and will face Australia's world No 1 Molly Picklum and California's Lakey Peterson in the first round.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald
12 hours ago
- The Herald
Australia outmuscle Proteas in Darwin T20I opener
They needed to contribute in a big way if the Proteas were going to go close and they set about the task relatively conservatively. But as the innings progressed and their partnership increased, the tourists would have started believing the chase was on. They moved to 120 before Stubbs was caught behind off Hazlewood for 37 off 27 balls. That brought an end to a 72-run partnership between the Warriors batter and Rickelton and also triggered a collapse. George Linde (0) followed Stubbs three balls later, also seen off by Hazlewood, before leg-spinner Zampa removed both Corbin Bosch and Senuran Muthusamy in the next over. Rickelton stood at the other end, watching the procession and eventually moved on to a half-century. Earlier, Markram won the toss and opted to field at a venue that was hosting its debut T20I fixture and its first international in 17 years. The lack of international cricket at the ground made the decision at the toss tough to make. And Australia's innings turned out to have a bit of everything in it. The momentum swung both ways at various stages. Australia opted for the aggressive approach from the outset. And they carried on swinging from the hip despite losing four wickets inside the power play overs. Included among those were the scalps of captain Mitchell Marsh (13), Travis Head (2), Josh Inglis (0) and Cameron Green, who slapped 35 off 13 to ensure the run rate was adequate at 70 in the six overs despite the loss of wickets. Glenn Maxwell (1) and Mitchell Owen followed in the next two overs as the home team slipped to 75 for six in need of resuscitation. The man to breathe life into the innings was the square-shouldered Tim David, who bludgeoned 83 off only 52 balls with eight sixes and four fours. His effort ensured that Australia reached a decent total of a couple less than 180. He was dropped by Stubbs in the deep shortly after he got his half-century. That apart, it was a superb innings that was eventually ended by Maphaka, who ended up taking care of the middle and lower order. The Herald
The Herald
18 hours ago
- The Herald
We're not at our best yet but we stood tall, Chippa coach says
Chippa United head coach Sinethemba Badela welcomed his team's draw against Betway Premiership defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, but said there is still a lot more work to be done. It did not go according to plan for the Brazilians as they settled for a 1-1 draw with the Chilli Boys after Khaya Mfecane cancelled out Arthur Sales' early goal. It was a thrilling season opener played in front of a large, lively crowd at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 'I am proud of the players because it's their first competitive game, and we are a team that is still coming together,' Badela said. 'We are not fully fit yet, we are not fully together. We have players who only joined us last week, when we were in Johannesburg. 'So, we are not at our best yet, and for us to get a point against the eight-time league defending champions is big. 'But, I do not like to celebrate draws because once you start to celebrate draws, then in the next match, the players become complacent, and from a draw it becomes a loss. 'However, I think if you ask any team in the league, you take a draw against this super Sundowns team that just showed the world and put SA on the map at the Club World Cup. 'So, for us to get a draw against them, I do not think it's the worst result that we could have asked for. We came into the game wanting to win, but we are grateful for the point.' Ahead of the match, Badela, 35, said he would use Saturday's clash against the league champions as a tool to elevate the team's readiness for the new season. 'We are still very far, it's a work in progress, we can't get too excited. Like I said on Thursday, we need to take a lot of information from this game. 'And this game gave us a lot of information, we needed to know how we are physically, and you could see the last 20 minutes of the game, we were starting to run out of legs, hence the changes that we made. 'The first few games of the season, especially when we have not had the most ideal preseason, where you have your six weeks with the new team. 'You would probably need about eight weeks for the players to be fully fit, for the players to fully understand the coach's plan. 'We have to watch the game; there are a lot of things that I am not happy about. 'There were times when we could have kept the ball a little longer and controlled it, but we made technical errors and gave away balls that we shouldn't have. 'But there are a lot of positives, I am happy with the chances that we created and the chances that we had been working on at training.' The Chilli Boys play newly promoted Durban City next at Chatsworth Stadium in Durban on Wednesday (7.30pm). The Herald
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Jordy Smith: Chasing the World Surf League Championship at 37
South African veteran surfer Jordy Smith is hunting a world title this season as he continues to trailblaze his way on World Surf League Championship. Image: Tyrone Bradley/Red Bull Content Pool South African Olympic surfer Jordy Smith is riding the wave of a lifetime, juggling family life and his career as he chases that elusive top spot in the World Surf League Championship this season. At the ripe age of 37, the South African athlete is still inspiring the younger generation of surfers, and he is keen on doing so for as long as he can while setting his sights on staying amongst the top surfers in the world. Currently navigating the waves in Tahiti as he looks to maintain his second place on the rankings as the season progresses, tto ultimately secure another world title for South Africa. Smith recently had a small hiccup in Jeffreys Bay at the JBay Open, but will be keen to get to the top of the swell in the Pacific Ocean at the Tahiti Pro. He has secured a top five spot that will see him contest the finals in Fiji. However, for the South African, everything is not just about winning, as he has come to realise over the years He wants to enjoy his craft, motivate upcoming talents and make his family proud while out in the water. While the season is still ongoing, Smith is dreaming of capturing that elusive world title. 'It would mean a lot, hey. It's been a long time since a South African has won a world title,' Smith said. 'A lot of hard work would have gone into it. Not just by me, but a lot of people who have supported me. Winning a title would be for everyone.' But his road to the top wasn't without its setbacks. Injuries, fierce competition, and the pressure of global expectations could have derailed a lesser athlete. Smith, however, never stopped grinding. He adapted, evolved, and returned stronger each time. With multiple career wins, including victories at the prestigious J-Bay Open on home soil, Smith solidified his legacy as one of the best of his era. His latest exploits, which catapulted him to the brink of the world title, came at the Surf City El Salvador Pro, where he beat countryman Matthew McGillivray in a historic all-South African final. He followed that up with a victory at the Margaret River Pro that put him atop the world rankings. Beyond his personal achievements, Smith's greatest impact may be his role as a trailblazer. For young South African surfers, like McGillivray, he's proof that international success is possible, even from a country where sponsorship and exposure can be limited. Through mentorship programs and local outreach, Smith has actively worked to grow the sport at home, encouraging the next generation to believe in their potential. 'I just want to keep on inspiring. I think South African surfing is just starting out. We had some of the first world champions back in the 70s, but then there was a big gap. Now, I think we are back. We have a lot more infrastructure around surfing, and it's similar to how rugby, cricket, and soccer do at the grassroots level.
