Ramzi Boukhiam suffers 'major' knee injury at Bells Beach while leaving the water after his heat
A freak accident at Bells Beach has forced Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam out of the Rip Curl Pro with a serious knee injury.
Boukhiam did not surf his elimination-round heat on Tuesday afternoon after the accident, putting him out of the competition.
He went to hospital for scans using crutches and with his left knee in a brace.
The 31-year-old had finished his opening-round heat earlier on Tuesday and was nearly on the beach when his foot was apparently caught in the reef close to the shoreline.
Footage showed Boukhiam then hit by a wave and he collapsed on to his board in agony.
Loading Twitter content
Brazilian Italo Ferreira and Australian Xavier Huxtable, who had competed in the same heat, immediately came to his aid and helped him out of the water.
"He'd just finished the wave and was waiting for the score — I saw him walking and then he went into the rock," Ferreira told the event broadcast.
"The other wave came at the back and hit him … [he said] 'I'm gone, I'm gone' — something happened and I started to run.
"It was a bummer, because he was surfing good on this wave, but best luck to him."
Ramzi Boukhiam thanked his competitors for rushing to his aid and helping him out of the water.
(
Getty Images: Ed Sloane/World Surf League
)
Ferreira won the hard-fought heat and Huxtable narrowly finished ahead of Boukhiam, putting the Moroccan into the elimination round.
Boukhiam thanked his competitors for helping out of the water, saying their support meant a lot.
"Life doesn't always make sense and right now, it's really tough to accept what happened," he wrote on Instagram.
"Getting a major injury — again — and during a contest I felt so ready for, just breaks me.
"With everything I've already been through, it honestly hits deep. But I truly believe everything happens for a reason.
Photo shows
A stylised graphic with three silhouettes of unidentified a female footballer, tennis player, basketballer
ABC Sport and Deakin University have partnered to produce the first ABC Elite Athletes in Australian Women's Sport Survey.
"Maybe this is part of a bigger path I can't see yet. I'm holding on to that thought, and doing my best to focus on healing, staying positive, and keeping my energy where it needs to be."
Also on Tuesday, Jordy Smith continued his strong form as
Smith won his round-one heat, with competition finally back on after three days of poor conditions.
The South African won the most recent World Surf League round in El Salvador, eight years after his previous event win at Bells Beach.
ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that's making headlines.
Only the women's opening round and one heat of the men's first round were run when the event started on Good Friday, before conditions deteriorated.
Local trials winner Carly Shanahan was the only Australian competing in the two women's elimination-round heats, and she did not progress.
There have been no Australian eliminations so far in the men's draw.
When the event resumes, the men will have their round of 32 and the women are up to the round of 16.
The ABC of SPORT
Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday.
Your information is being handled in accordance with the
Email address
Subscribe
AAP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
'Ready for war': Aussie Opetaia alert to Italian ambush
Like the 27 challengers who have come before him, Jai Opetaia is swatting away Claudio Squeo's threat to derail the Australian boxing superstar's undisputed world title dream. Opetaia (27-0, 21KOs) will place his IBF and The Ring cruiserweight belts on the line against the unbeaten Squeo (17-0, 9KOs) on Sunday. Despite entering the bout as a 15-1 underdog, the Italian is promising to prove the doubters wrong and pull off one of boxing's great boilovers at the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre. "This is a big opportunity to shock the world, the people writing you off," Squeo said through a translator on Friday. But with a multi-million-dollar pay day and a place in Australian boxing immortality also at stake, Opetaia is having none of it. With much bigger fish to fry, the 29-year-old is vowing to win whatever way is required, knowing a loss is non negotiable ahead of a succession of potential super fights that could propel him to Hall of Fame status. "I believe I can beat him in the pocket, I believe I can outbox him. We are just going to fight smart," Opetai said. "We've got to choose our battles and just wait til Sunday." The fight comes almost three years after a then-unfancied Opetaia defied two jaw fractures to beat champion Mairis Briedis and claim his two straps. Opetaia has fought five times since, with the Briedis rematch last year his only genuine challenge, and is yet to land a shot at the other three belts in his division. Badou Jack owns the WBC belt but it is WBO and WBA champion Gilberto Ramirez who is firmly in Opetaia's sights. The Mexican two-weight champion is due for a mandatory defence later this month and insistent he will face Opetaia next. Should both win, as most predict they will, Opetaia will be in line to finally secure a unification blockbuster against Ramirez later this year. An Opetaia-Ramirez mega-money four-belt stoush would sit nicely on the undercard to September's historic duel between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. Little wonder why Opetai's priority is to see off Squeo however he needs to, saying he's even ready to slug it out for 12 full rounds if that's what it takes. "Once that bell goes every time, man, it's on and I'm ready for 12 rounds of war," he said. "I've got no doubt he's going to come forward. That's got to be his game plan. "We've just got to be patient. We just stick to our game plan, do what we do and we put on clinics. "So on Sunday, I love to put on a clinic. We always do the goods, we always put on good performances. "We are some hard-noses. We've been in the trenches the last couple of weeks. I'm riding in the wave. You know how I train to stop people."
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
'Ready for war': Aussie Opetaia alert to Italian ambush
Like the 27 challengers who have come before him, Jai Opetaia is swatting away Claudio Squeo's threat to derail the Australian boxing superstar's undisputed world title dream. Opetaia (27-0, 21KOs) will place his IBF and The Ring cruiserweight belts on the line against the unbeaten Squeo (17-0, 9KOs) on Sunday. Despite entering the bout as a 15-1 underdog, the Italian is promising to prove the doubters wrong and pull off one of boxing's great boilovers at the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre. "This is a big opportunity to shock the world, the people writing you off," Squeo said through a translator on Friday. First face off done. War ready. 😤 This Sunday on @DAZNBoxing Jai Opetaia (@jaiopetaia1) June 4, 2025 But with a multi-million-dollar pay day and a place in Australian boxing immortality also at stake, Opetaia is having none of it. With much bigger fish to fry, the 29-year-old is vowing to win whatever way is required, knowing a loss is non negotiable ahead of a succession of potential super fights that could propel him to Hall of Fame status. "I believe I can beat him in the pocket, I believe I can outbox him. We are just going to fight smart," Opetai said. "We've got to choose our battles and just wait til Sunday." The fight comes almost three years after a then-unfancied Opetaia defied two jaw fractures to beat champion Mairis Briedis and claim his two straps. Opetaia has fought five times since, with the Briedis rematch last year his only genuine challenge, and is yet to land a shot at the other three belts in his division. Badou Jack owns the WBC belt but it is WBO and WBA champion Gilberto Ramirez who is firmly in Opetaia's sights. The Mexican two-weight champion is due for a mandatory defence later this month and insistent he will face Opetaia next. Should both win, as most predict they will, Opetaia will be in line to finally secure a unification blockbuster against Ramirez later this year. An Opetaia-Ramirez mega-money four-belt stoush would sit nicely on the undercard to September's historic duel between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. Little wonder why Opetai's priority is to see off Squeo however he needs to, saying he's even ready to slug it out for 12 full rounds if that's what it takes. "Once that bell goes every time, man, it's on and I'm ready for 12 rounds of war," he said. "I've got no doubt he's going to come forward. That's got to be his game plan. "We've just got to be patient. We just stick to our game plan, do what we do and we put on clinics. "So on Sunday, I love to put on a clinic. We always do the goods, we always put on good performances. "We are some hard-noses. We've been in the trenches the last couple of weeks. I'm riding in the wave. You know how I train to stop people."
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Aussie boxer given title chance due to pregnant pause
Cherneka Johnson has the chance to become undisputed world champion after the Australian boxer was called in to replace Denmark's Dina Thorslund, who has announced her pregnancy. Already the WBA bantamweight world champion, Johnson will have the biggest fight of her career, stepping into the ring on July 11 (local time) at Madison Square Garden to take on the IBF champion, American Shurretta Metcalf. Because of her pregnancy, Thorslund voluntarily relinquished her WBO belt, while the WBC approved her title as Champion in Recess. A victory would make 30-year-old Johnson Australia's first undisputed world champion in the four-belt era after George Kambosos fell short in his quest to pull off the feat against Devin Haney in 2022. The 10-round showdown with Metcalf (14-4-1, 2 KOs) is on the first-ever all-women's professional boxing card at the famous New York venue. It's headlined by the third battle between Ireland's Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano of Puerto Rico. Signing with an American promoter, it is the first fight in the US for Johnson (17-2, 7 KOs). "It's a dream come true to fight at Madison Square Garden," said Johnson, who is New Zealand-born but lives on the Gold Coast and fights under the Australian flag. "This feels like a true 'pinch me' moment. "Not only will I be defending my title, but I'll also become the undisputed champion ... the magnitude of this moment isn't lost on me, and I'm ready to rise to it." Meanwhile, Andrew Moloney's comeback fight has been locked in less than a year after he announced his retirement following a controversial loss. Australia's former super flyweight world champion was ordered to fight Mexico's Argi Cortes in an IBF eliminator, with the pair squaring off in Monterrey, Mexico, on July 19 (local time). The winner will become the mandatory challenger to Willibaldo Garcia, who edged fellow Mexican Rene Calixto to claim the vacant IBF crown. The chance comes less than a year after 34-year-old Moloney quit the sport in a rage after losing on points to Pedro Guevara for the interim WBC super flyweight title.
