Stephanie Gilmore knocks out Caity Simmers to reach quarter-finals of Gold Coast Pro
Australian surfing great Stephanie Gilmore has knocked reigning world champion Caity Simmers out of the Gold Coast Pro.
Competing in the World Surf League for the first time in nearly two years, Gilmore is through to the quarter-finals after beating the American on Thursday in the round of 16.
Competition resumed after a three-day break and Gilmore, the eight-time world champion, edged out the world No.2 12.84 to 12.50.
Gilmore is competing at Burleigh Heads as a wildcard and she will face Canadian Erin Brooks in the quarters.
Isabella Nichols, who won the previous round at Bells Beach, will go up against fellow Australian Sally Fitzgibbons in another quarter.
Compatriot Molly Picklum is also through to the last eight, while world No.1 Gabriela Bryan joined Simmers as a big-name casualty when she lost her heat to Brazilian young gun Luana Silva.
The men are halfway through their round of 32 heats and Australian Ethan Ewing was knocked out by compatriot Morgan Cibilic.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'Incredible atmosphere': Australia gears up for 'historic, brutal and thrilling' rugby union showdown as British and Irish Lions face off Wallabies, other teams in six-week tour
The British and Irish Lions will roar into Australia next month to bring drama and excitement for rugby fans while delivering a tourism windfall in excess of $150 million. Thousands of Australians have already bought tickets to cheer the Wallabies in what is a historic, brutal and thrilling football series. The Lions tour Australia every 12 years. Their first tour Down Under was in 1888 - before Australia was officially a nation. Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said this year the visitors will be heading here with a cheer squad of 40,000 fans from the UK. Phillipa Harrison, the managing director of Tourism Australia said the tourism benefits of the six-week tour should not be underestimated. She said the 2013 tour by the British and Irish Lions supporters pumped $150 million to the Australian economy. 'The upcoming tour offers significant opportunities for Australian tourism with the nine-game tour being played across six cities, delivering significant economic impacts to both the host destinations and Australia more broadly,' Ms Harrison said. 'While British and Irish rugby fans will be focused on what's happening on the rugby pitch, we also want to remind them of what Australia has to offer as a world-class holiday destination.' The Lions are bringing a squad of 38 players skippered by Maro Itoje, a rugby superstar who will be a major drawcard. The elusive lock was born Oghenemaro Miles Itoje in London to Nigerian parents and grew up playing many sports. He was an under 17 England shot-put champion. The Lions will play a warm-up match against Argentina in Dublin on June 20 before they fly to Australia. Tim Mander, the Queensland Minister for Sport and Racing and the Olympics said the first test against the Wallabies starts at Lang Park in Brisbane on July 19. He added the Qatar Airways British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia is expected to inject around $55.5 million into the Queensland economy alone. Mr Mander, a former rugby league referee who controlled 12 test matches, expects the series will attract 38,000 visitors to Queensland from interstate and overseas. He said the Queensland Reds will play the tourists in a warm-up game at Suncorp Stadium on July 2. 'We can't wait for the incredible atmosphere that the British and Irish Lions fans guarantee: the chants, comradery and fanfare make for an unforgettable night,' Mr Mander said. 'And where better than the world's best football stadium? 'This is the beginning of our golden runway of rugby for Queensland, as we get ready to host the Men's World Cup in 2027 and the Women's World Cup in 2029.' Victoria's Minister for Sport Steve Dimopoulos believes a crowd in excess of 100,000 may turn out to the MCG. 'Melbourne is Australia's sporting capital, and we can't wait to see the MCG packed to the rafters with what could be a record-breaking crowd,' he said. Steve Kamper, the NSW Minister for Sport, was also claiming bragging rights. 'Sydney is the heartland of rugby in Australia, boasting the nation's strongest fan base,' he said. 'Accor Stadium is one of the finest rugby venues in the country and is a fitting stage for what promises to be the most crucial match of the series against the old foe.' It will also be a packed house in Perth when 61,000 fans turn out to see the Lions go into battle with the Western Force at the Optus Stadium on Saturday June 28. The Lions will also play the NSW Waratahs and the ACT Brumbies. Tourism Australia said there will be another rugby invasion in 2027 when Australia hosts the Rugby World Cup. Matches will be played in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, and Townsville between October 1 and November 13. Where to see the British and Irish Lions: Saturday June 28 - Lions v Western Force, Perth (Optus Stadium) Wednesday July 2 - Lions v Queensland Reds, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium) Saturday July 5 - Lions v NSW Waratahs, Sydney (Allianz Stadium) Wednesday July 9 - Lions v ACT Brumbies, Canberra (GIO Stadium) Saturday July 12 - Lions v Invitational AU & NZ, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval) Saturday July 19 - Lions v Australia, first Test, Brisbane (Lang Park's Suncorp Stadium) Tuesday July 22 - Lions v First Nations & Pasifika XV, Melbourne (Marvel Stadium) Saturday July 26 - Lions v Australia, second Test, Melbourne (MCG) Saturday August 2 - Lions v Australia, third Test, Sydney (Accor Stadium)
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Perfectly imperfect: Unlikely hero takes Socceroos to brink of another World Cup
In the fair dinkum department, however, you can start booking your tickets to North America because the Socceroos have a goal difference buffer of +10 over Saudi Arabia, the team they'll face in next week's final World Cup qualifier in Jeddah, and there's no universe in which that gets erased and Australia loses second spot in Group C. So rejoice – and prepare to rejoice again on Wednesday morning (AEST). In the meantime, Aziz Behich, please step forward and take your place in the pantheon of Australian heroes – right next to John Aloisi, Josh Kennedy and Andrew Redmayne, other Socceroo icons who have emerged from troubled times as qualification heroes. Though the rest of the match will be quickly forgotten, Behich's 90th-minute goal will be forever remembered. It came from nowhere: an inboard pass from the right from Jason Geria to fellow substitute Riley McGree, who turned beautifully and broke into space in Australia's penalty area. But his touch seemed too heavy, and the ball seemed destined to roll out for a goal kick. So he chased it, and cut the ball back to the penalty spot, picking out … well, nobody initially, but Behich went after it, beat a Japanese defender to it, and curled it in with his right foot. 'It was just about getting myself in a position into the box,' Behich said post-match. Loading 'One thing that the boss said at half-time was, we've still got to work hard, it'll be tough to break down, but we'll get our opportunity if we stick to our structure and get numbers into the box - and we'll get one opportunity, and we'll take it. 'I just tried to get myself into that back post area, and as soon as it sat and came off my foot, I felt I hit it pretty nicely. I actually didn't see the ball hit the net, I just saw the crowd erupt and players start running everywhere, and that's when I looked at the goal and was like – let's go. It's a beautiful moment. I'm grateful that I was the one to hit the back of the net, but the boys out there tonight had to work so hard.' Behich is one of Australia's most underappreciated players. He has spent most of his career trying to escape the memory of the 2010 A-League grand final, when he missed an open goal that could have won it for Melbourne Victory. Capped 80 times for the Socceroos, he is hardly the kind of guy who sells tickets or customised jerseys, and for a few years now, it's as if a good section of fans have been waiting for Jordan Bos or someone else to take his spot on the left side of defence so he can be forgotten. But Behich, 34, has a surplus of ticker, which is why teammates and coaches love him, why he never gives up, and why he is still such an important part of the national team. On Saturday night, he captained Melbourne City to an A-League championship, but that was just the entrée to the main dish: his first international goal since 2012, which sealed Australia's first win over Japan since 2009. 'With what's on the line for us, what we've had to go through this campaign, and obviously playing against a nation that we haven't beaten I don't know how many years … we're always the underdog and always expected to lose, but we always have belief within those four walls,' he said. 'This is right up there in my green and gold career.' So to the performance. The good thing is it doesn't matter – but it wasn't great. Having already qualified, Japan fielded a second-string team but still utterly dominated the first half, and mostly dominated the second half. Physically, at times, they monstered Australia. In terms of technique, the gulf was frightening. But for all their possession and territory, they managed just one shot on target for the whole match. The Socceroos did what Popovic teams tend to do, particularly in Asia: defend well, remain disciplined and focused, and strike when the opportunity is there. Loading Popovic now has over 12 months to find the missing pieces to Australia's game. There are more than a few, and they are very much needed for them to be competitive at a World Cup. In full context, though, he has done a wonderful job. When he was parachuted in as Graham Arnold's replacement, this team was in crisis, in shambles, and direct qualification looked in serious danger. He has achieved it – well, 'all but', for now – while also restoring pride in the jersey, regenerating his squad with new faces and ideas, and laying down a sturdy foundation which he and his players can now build upon.
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Perfectly imperfect: Unlikely hero takes Socceroos to brink of another World Cup
In the fair dinkum department, however, you can start booking your tickets to North America because the Socceroos have a goal difference buffer of +10 over Saudi Arabia, the team they'll face in next week's final World Cup qualifier in Jeddah, and there's no universe in which that gets erased and Australia loses second spot in Group C. So rejoice – and prepare to rejoice again on Wednesday morning (AEST). In the meantime, Aziz Behich, please step forward and take your place in the pantheon of Australian heroes – right next to John Aloisi, Josh Kennedy and Andrew Redmayne, other Socceroo icons who have emerged from troubled times as qualification heroes. Though the rest of the match will be quickly forgotten, Behich's 90th-minute goal will be forever remembered. It came from nowhere: an inboard pass from the right from Jason Geria to fellow substitute Riley McGree, who turned beautifully and broke into space in Australia's penalty area. But his touch seemed too heavy, and the ball seemed destined to roll out for a goal kick. So he chased it, and cut the ball back to the penalty spot, picking out … well, nobody initially, but Behich went after it, beat a Japanese defender to it, and curled it in with his right foot. 'It was just about getting myself in a position into the box,' Behich said post-match. Loading 'One thing that the boss said at half-time was, we've still got to work hard, it'll be tough to break down, but we'll get our opportunity if we stick to our structure and get numbers into the box - and we'll get one opportunity, and we'll take it. 'I just tried to get myself into that back post area, and as soon as it sat and came off my foot, I felt I hit it pretty nicely. I actually didn't see the ball hit the net, I just saw the crowd erupt and players start running everywhere, and that's when I looked at the goal and was like – let's go. It's a beautiful moment. I'm grateful that I was the one to hit the back of the net, but the boys out there tonight had to work so hard.' Behich is one of Australia's most underappreciated players. He has spent most of his career trying to escape the memory of the 2010 A-League grand final, when he missed an open goal that could have won it for Melbourne Victory. Capped 80 times for the Socceroos, he is hardly the kind of guy who sells tickets or customised jerseys, and for a few years now, it's as if a good section of fans have been waiting for Jordan Bos or someone else to take his spot on the left side of defence so he can be forgotten. But Behich, 34, has a surplus of ticker, which is why teammates and coaches love him, why he never gives up, and why he is still such an important part of the national team. On Saturday night, he captained Melbourne City to an A-League championship, but that was just the entrée to the main dish: his first international goal since 2012, which sealed Australia's first win over Japan since 2009. 'With what's on the line for us, what we've had to go through this campaign, and obviously playing against a nation that we haven't beaten I don't know how many years … we're always the underdog and always expected to lose, but we always have belief within those four walls,' he said. 'This is right up there in my green and gold career.' So to the performance. The good thing is it doesn't matter – but it wasn't great. Having already qualified, Japan fielded a second-string team but still utterly dominated the first half, and mostly dominated the second half. Physically, at times, they monstered Australia. In terms of technique, the gulf was frightening. But for all their possession and territory, they managed just one shot on target for the whole match. The Socceroos did what Popovic teams tend to do, particularly in Asia: defend well, remain disciplined and focused, and strike when the opportunity is there. Loading Popovic now has over 12 months to find the missing pieces to Australia's game. There are more than a few, and they are very much needed for them to be competitive at a World Cup. In full context, though, he has done a wonderful job. When he was parachuted in as Graham Arnold's replacement, this team was in crisis, in shambles, and direct qualification looked in serious danger. He has achieved it – well, 'all but', for now – while also restoring pride in the jersey, regenerating his squad with new faces and ideas, and laying down a sturdy foundation which he and his players can now build upon.
