Latest news with #MollyPicklum
The Guardian
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Sally Fitzgibbons' resurgence falls short as Bettylou Sakura Johnson claims first WSL title
Sally Fitzgibbons has gone down swinging in the final of the Gold Coast Pro, with Bettylou Sakura Johnson claiming her first World Surf League trophy. Fitzgibbons was hunting her first Championship Tour title in four years, but her 20-year-old Hawaiian rival emerged triumphant in Saturday's showdown. The 34-year-old threw everything at her young rival, surfing a mammoth 13 waves, but fell short with a two-wave score of 7.83 to Sakura Johnson's impressive tally of 15.33. Fitzgibbons was on the back foot from the get-go, with her opponent posting a score of 8.50 on her first wave in front of a huge crowd at Burleigh Heads. The Gerroa surfer went to the air four times, trying to stick a landing that would give her a score to put her back in contention, but she was unable to seal the deal. It was Sakura Johnson's second win of the day over a local hope after earlier eliminating top-ranked Australian Molly Picklum in the quarter-finals. 'It's so special and I feel amazing,' said Sakura Johnson, who has waited four years on the CT for her first title. 'I'm so over the moon.' Outscoring Canadian wunderkind Erin Brooks in the semi-finals earlier in the day, Fitzgibbons was chasing her first title since 2021 when she won the Rip Curl Rottnest Search, on Western Australia's Rottnest Island. Mental ‼️A perfect Day is ON! @originalbonsoy #GoldCoastPro @gwmaustralia @experiencegoldcoast @queensland Her win over Brooks helped secure a position above the cut line, which comes into play after the next contest at Margaret River, moving into the the top 10 just by reaching the final. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Earlier Brooks, 17, eliminated six-time Gold Coast champion and eight-time world title holder Stephanie Gilmore in the quarters. With Gilmore's former coach Jake Patterson in her corner, Brooks used superior wave selection to get the better of the Australian legend, who is due to return to the tour full-time next year. Winning qualifying to get a wildcard start, 36-year-old Julian Wilson is also through to the men's final, where he will take on Brazilian Felipe Toledo in a rematch of their 2015 Gold Coast Pro decider. Toledo won that 2015 battle. Wilson, who hasn't competed on the CT for almost four years, overcame Japan's Kanoa Igarashi in the semi-finals while Toledo posted a perfect 10 en route to a win over another Brazilian, Alejo Muniz.
News.com.au
08-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Surfing as a wildcard at the Gold Coast Pro, Steph Gilmore ousts reigning world champ Caity Simmers
Eight-time world champ Steph Gilmore continued her stunning return to action at the Gold Coast Pro, eliminating reigning world champ Caity Simmers on Thursday morning. Gilmore, 37, ended more than a year out of competition by entering the event at her home break at Burleigh Heads as a wildcard. After waiting three days to get back in the surf, the Australian legend went head-to-head with 19-year-old Simmers, who won last year's world championship and entered the Gold Coast event as the world's second-ranked surfer, in their round of 16 clash. Showing she's still got what it takes to rules the waves, Gilmore's final wave score of 6.17 proved enough to hold off her teen rival by less than a point in a stunning result. 'Caity's one of my favorite surfers, and you know, she's the current world champion, and she's probably everyone's favorite surfer ... so yeah, it's nerve wracking surfing against people like that,' Gilmore said. 'It really brings out the best in you, because you just, you have to find ways to win and dig deep and find new strategies and stuff. 'I guess I'm gonna have to go the whole way now. Caity said 'if you take my points, you better take all the points', so we'll see what happens.' Earlier in the day, Australian star Molly Picklum continued to put the disappointment of an early exit at Bells Beach behind her with a brilliant round-of-16 win that propelled her into the quarter-finals. Picklum delivered two eight-point rides to take down American Bella Kenworthy in her pursuit of a major win on home soil.
The Advertiser
24-04-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Surf star Picklum eliminated in Bells Beach boilover
Molly Picklum's bid for an elusive Bells Beach title has been foiled again, with the Australian surfing star suffering a shock loss at the Rip Curl Pro.
7NEWS
23-04-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Aussie surf star Molly Picklum fails again in bid for elusive Bells Beach title
Molly Picklum's bid for an elusive Bells Beach title has been foiled again, with the Australian surfing star suffering a shock loss at the Rip Curl Pro. Brazilian junior world champion Luana Silva started Thursday by beating the world No.3 in the first of the women's round-of-16 heats. Picklum had come to Bells Beach in strong form, reaching the top four in all four World Surf League rounds so far this season and finishing runner-up in two of them. But after coming second at Bells Beach two years ago, she also failed to make last year's quarter-finals. Surfing resumed at the Winky Pop break in clean 3-4 foot conditions. The men will start their round of 32 after the women's heats. Australian Sally Fitzgibbons has a tough heat against American world No.1 Cailtlin Simmers. Isabella Nichols, runner-up at the last round in El Salvador, will go up against Canadian Erin Brooks. The last women's heat on Thursday will be an all-Australian duel between two-time world champion Tyler Wright and Ellis Harrison.
Perth Now
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Surf star Picklum eliminated in Bells Beach boilover
Molly Picklum's bid for an elusive Bells Beach title has been foiled again, with the Australian surfing star suffering a shock loss at the Rip Curl Pro. Brazilian junior world champion Luana Silva started Thursday by beating the world No.3 in the first of the women's round-of-16 heats. Picklum had come to Bells Beach in strong form, reaching the top four in all four World Surf League rounds so far this season and finishing runner-up in two of them. But after coming second at Bells Beach two years ago, she also failed to make last year's quarter-finals. Surfing resumed at the Winky Pop break in clean three- to four-foot conditions. The men will start their round of 32 after the women's heats. Australian Sally Fitzgibbons has a tough heat against American world No.1 Cailtlin Simmers. Isabella Nichols, runner-up at the last round in El Salvador, will go up against Canadian Erin Brooks. The last women's heat on Thursday will be an all-Australian duel between two-time world champion Tyler Wright and Ellis Harrison.
