Gilmore harnesses power to win heat
WORLD championship leader Stephanie Gilmore has advanced to the third round of the Rio Pro in Brazil with a win over surfing young guns Taina Hinckel and fellow Australian Keely Andrew.
Gilmore, who has kept the yellow jersey since winning the season-opening event on the Gold Coast in March, advanced with ease in messy, changing conditions.
The Tweed Coaster’s one wave of 6.33 was enough to win her opening round.
“You can have a strategy and try to stick to it but things can change a lot,” she said.
“I just wanted to sit out the back and get into one of the bigger waves a bit earlier but those bigger sets stopped.
“It felt good to get on a bigger board out there and there is so much power out there.”
Joining her in the third round was fellow Australian Sally Fitzgibbons, who staged a late run to win her heat over American Tatiana WestonWebb and Frenchwoman Pauline Ado.
The world No.2 waited to drop a 6.77 on her penultimate wave to claim her heat.
Fitzgibbons said she was struggling with the foot injury she sustained at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach last month.
“The waves were definitely challenging but you have to have those heat smarts and know you are in the battle,” Fitzgibbons said.
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride out of Bells to get that kind of fin -chop to the foot.
“There is a little more nerve damage than I thought but it is good because the cut sealed.”
Joining them in Round 3 was Sage Erickson, who upset fellow American Carissa Moore. Americans Courtney Conlogue and Coco Ho and Frenchwoman Johanne Defay also advanced.
In the men’s section, three-times world champion Mick Fanning won his Round 1 heat against fellow Gold Coast veteran Bede Durbidge and Michel Bourez, of French Polynesia.
The Australian powerhouse garnered a 14.44 twowave combined score for the opportunity to skip straight to Round 3 and improve his 19th place in the World Surf League series.
“It is tough out there, especially going up against guys like Bede and Michel,” Fanning said. “They excel in these kinds of conditions.
“It is incredible to see the level of competition and it really leaves no room for error.”
Gold Coast rookie Ethan Ewing was beaten by Brazilian Filipe Toledo.