Host nation France’s chances of a first Olympic medal in surfing got a massive boost on Tuesday with the qualification of Vahine Fierro, a Tahitian local among the best at riding the challenging tubes of Teahupo’o, the venue for next year’s Games.
Fierro, 23, won her spot by becoming the last unqualified European woman still in contention at the ISA World Surfing Games at Surf City in El Salvador.
Fierro competes in the second tier of the professional World Surf League (WSL) tour, but is expected to be a real medal threat at her home break in Tahiti next year.
Photo: AFP
Almost 16,000km from the main Games venues, the wave at Teahupo’o are among of the world’s heaviest and most picturesque, with big Southern Ocean swells slamming onto a shallow coral reef and creating intimidating barrels.
“It’s a place where nobody can understand how special it is until they go there and feel the vibe, and they will feel it through the TV as well,” an elated Fierro said after qualifying. “We’re going to the best place in the world.”
Competing as a wild-card in the WSL competition at Teahupo’o last year, Fierro eliminated five-time world champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medalist Carissa Moore en route to finishing third.
Another dangerous Teahupo’o local, Kauli Vaast, was yesterday in contention for the single men’s European qualification spot.
Under surfing’s qualification process, the top 10 men and top eight women at the end of this year’s WSL tour are to take the first 18 of 48 spots available for Olympics. The remaining spots are decided through International Surfing Association competitions.
South Africans Jordy Smith and Sarah Baum, New Zealanders Saffi Vette and Billy Stairmand, and Japan’s Shino Matsuda have also provisionally qualified from the El Salvador event.
Portugal’s Teresa Bonvalot, Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb, Brisa Hennessy from Costa Rica and France’s Johanne Defay have qualified through the WSL world tour.
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday poured in 35 points as the Thunder grabbed a bounce-back 118-108 victory in Portland to push their NBA-best record to 37-8. The Thunder, surprised by the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, fended off a late surge from the Trail Blazers to snap their four-game winning streak. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe added 16 off the bench. Center Isaiah Hartenstein, back after a five-game absence with a calf injury, added 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a big block. The Western Conference leaders were under pressure late as Portland, trailing by 15 heading
Sumo is walking a “tightrope” as it prepares to stage events outside Japan for the first time in 20 years while also trying to preserve its ancient traditions, experts say. The sport is to hold exhibition tournaments in London in October and in Paris in June next year, the first time the Japan Sumo Association has been abroad since Las Vegas in 2005. Sports such as soccer, baseball and football play domestic games overseas in a bid to gain new fans in emerging markets. John Gunning, a former amateur sumo wrestler who commentates on the sport in English on Japanese television, says its
Cole Perfetti on Friday scored three goals for his first NHL hat-trick as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Utah Hockey Club 5-2. Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists to reach 500 points for his career, while David Gustafsson also scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 17 saves. Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz scored for Utah, while Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots. Perfetti gave Winnipeg a 3-2 lead when he lifted the puck over a fallen Ingram on a pass from Vladislav Namestnikov 5 minutes, 51 seconds into the third period. Ehlers stole the puck at his own blue line and raced down
RSS