Latest news with #StephGilmore
News.com.au
09-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Wildcard Aussie surfer Julian Wilson topples rankings leader Italo Ferreira
Another Australian comeback star has turned giant-killer on the Gold Coast, with veteran surfer Julian Wilson taking down rankings leader Italo Ferreira despite nearly missing his start time. A day after eight-time world champ Steph Gilmore eliminated reigning world champ Caity Simmers in her first event in 18 months, Wilson, 37, who had to earn his wildcard into the event at Burleigh Heads by winning the qualifying event, stunned his Brazilian opponent in the round of 32. Wilson, 36, and a former world No.2, stepped away from the tour in 2021 for mental health reasons, but his climb back to the tour now includes another win over Ferreira. The Queenslander has now won all five clashes with the Brazilian and won despite thinking his heat was due for a start half an hour later than it did. 'It got the heart-rate going very quickly but it kind of worked in my favour,' he told the WSL. 'I didn't really get to watch the conditions, I planned to have another 30 minutes to get in the water and ride some waves. 'It kind of worked in my favour cause the line-up's super tricky this morning and I felt like I adapted pretty well as I think if I had expectations of better waves it would have been harder to tune into what was actually going on.' Wilson's cause was helped when Ferreira buckled his board trying an aerial manoeuvre early in the heat and had to paddle to shore for a replacement before trying to re-enter the water over rocks rather than use a jetski as time ticked away. While the win was monumental, Wilson will now have to take down Frenchman Marco Mignot in the round of 16 to keep his title hopes alive. The women's quarter-finals, with Gilmore among five Australians still alive, will have to wait.
Herald Sun
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Steph Gilmore takes down reigning world champ Caity Simmers on the Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Other Sports. Followed categories will be added to My News. 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. Steph Gilmore has stunned reigning world champ Caity Simmers. Picture: Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League '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. Originally published as Surfing as a wildcard at the Gold Coast Pro, Steph Gilmore ousts reigning world champ Caity Simmers
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Aussie GOAT stuns world champ
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. Steph Gilmore has stunned reigning world champ Caity Simmers. Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League Credit: News Corp Australia 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.
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.
West Australian
08-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
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. 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.
