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The South African
30 minutes ago
- Sport
- The South African
SA's Jordy Smith will surf for a WORLD title in Fiji
SA's Jordy Smith is locked into the World Surf League (WSL) Final Five in Fiji. And he knows exactly what he has to do to clinch his first world title. After a highly charged event at the massive slabs of Teahupo'o this week, seeding for the WSL Final Five is finally decided … SA's Jordy Smith amassed so many points in the middle part of the season that no one overtook him him after the last round of the year. Image: WSL There were plenty of last-minute changes further down the seeding in Tahiti. However, SA's Jordy Smith remained static in second place on the rankings thanks to the points he accumulated throughout the regular season. And Brazil's Yago Dora stayed in number one, despite falling foul of the yellow jersey curse and dropping out before the quarter finals. Nevertheless, with the final seeding decided, SA's Jordy Smith knows exactly what he has to do in Fiji in two weeks' time to win that elusive world title. How the WSL Final Five works is man-on-man heats, starting with the fifth and fourth seeds. In this case, Brazil's Italo Ferreira and Jack Robinson from Australia. The 38-year old pulls into a cavernous barrel this past week in Tahiti. Image: WSL The winner of that heat takes on California Griffin Colapinto. The winner of that heat will face number two seed, SA's Jordy Smith. So, for our Big Bru to win his first world title he'll have to surf twice. Once to defeat the challenger from below, and then once more to defeat number one seed Yago Dora. What SA's Jordy Smith has in his favour, however, is the following: Firstly, Cloudbreak in Fiji is an extremely heavy deep-water wave, which tends to suit the big South African's technique. The event window runs from 27 August to 4 September 2025 for one day of competition. This means the WSL will only run when the waves are at their absolute biggest and best. Secondly, the pressure of the number one jersey has only been a curse so far, with the surfer wearing it rarely moving beyond the early rounds in 2025. Thirdly, Dora's aerial acrobatics are unlikely to factor in the scoring for the heavy water of Fiji. SA's Jordy Smith defeated Matt McGillivray in El Salvador earlier this year in a historic all-Saffa final. Image: WSL/File/Fotor What remains to be seen is the confidence of SA's Jordy Smith when he paddles out at Cloudbreak in two weeks' time. The Big Bru had his chance to shut down the world title race in J-Bay, in front of his home crowd, but let the opportunity slip by bowing out early. The waves went sleepy on him and he dropped anchor waiting for a bomb of a wave that never came. Thankfully, the WSL Final Five format won't allow that to happen again. The highest seed starts each heat with priority, which means SA's Jordy Smith will have to get busy early. And he tends to perform better when he scores early, catches a lot of waves and builds momentum and confidence. That's how the veteran has had the most impressive year of his 18-year career on tour. He's won two events in a single year for the first time ever and walked away with a brand-new car by claiming the 'Aussie Treble.' Be sure to tune into the WSL from Wednesday 27 August 2025 onwards to see SA's Jordy Smith do us proud and give it his all for a world title in Fiji. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Simone Biles drops jaw-dropping rare Olympic photos and videos fans never saw before on Olympic Day
Simone Biles, an Olympic icon, opens her Instagram vault on June 23, 2025; an emotional wave strikes. The eleven-time Olympic medalist exposes private events from her first appearance in 2016 Rio, her contested 2020 Tokyo Games, and her victorious 2024 Paris run. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rare behind-the- scenes footage that shows gold‑winning cheers and silent recovery scenes on Olympic Day leaves fans dumbfounded. Each photo and video offers a fresh glimpse into her journey, one filled with pressure, joy, and unspoken strength. Simone Biles drops throwback clips from Rio Tokyo Paris run on Olympic Day On Monday, June 23, 2025, Simone Biles shared a set of Instagram Stories in honor of Olympic Day . She opened with joyful footage from Rio 2016 where she and Aly Raisman and Laurie Hernandez celebrated making the U.S. team. This included photos with Gabby Douglas and Madison Kocian. Fans saw the all‑female 'Final Five' jumping for gold in Rio. Simone Biles Olympic Day Next came moments from Tokyo 2020: Biles posted masked crew videos from the bubble and team shots with Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, and Grace McCallum—dubbed the 'Fighting Four"—holding their silver medals. She also highlighted her balance‑beam bronze alongside coaches Cécile Canqueteau‑Landi and Laurent Landi . Most recent are clips from Paris 2024. Biles showed scenes of her 'Golden Girls' team Chiles, Lee, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera, celebrating qualifying and winning gold. A rare vault clip revealed her historic 'Biles II' Yurchenko double pike, making her the second woman after Věra Čáslavská to win two Olympic vault titles . She also included emotional off‑court snaps of family and fans cheering as she announced, 'okay I'm done, so blessed to go to 3 Olympic games with Team USA.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Simone Biles honors her support team on Olympic Day and hints at more to come Biles didn't stop at competition photos, she paid tribute to her medical team. One image featured Dr. Marcia Faustin tending to an injury during Paris, with Biles noting, 'She is beauty, she is grace. Dr. Marcia saved my lifeeeee.' Despite this heartfelt journey, Biles has not confirmed her return for Los Angeles 2028. She joked herself 'getting really old' yet added, 'never say never' about a possible comeback . These personal postings struck a chord on the internet and created appreciation for her vulnerability as well as fans eager for what comes next. Also Read:
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How did the Brown University student do on ‘Survivor'?
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Brown University student made television history as the first openly autistic person to compete on 'Survivor.' Eva Erickson made it to the finale but fell short of becoming the new champion and finished in second place. The 'Final Five' episode aired Wednesday night and named Kyle Fraser the winner, making him $1 million richer. BACKGROUND: Brown University student becomes first openly autistic person to compete on 'Survivor' Eickson was a fan favorite this year, going viral back in March when her friend Joe Hunter comforted her after a challenge. The 24-year-old was diagnosed with autism when she was just a year old. She is getting her PhD in engineering. NEXT: RI 'Survivor' contestant opens up about autism, brings Jeff Probst to tears Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
