Refile: Surfing-Brazil's Ferreira wins Tahiti Pro in epic Olympic appetizer

Shiseido

31/05/2024 04:30

(Fixes spelling of Ferreira in headline)
    By Lincoln Feast
       May 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's Italo Ferreira won the
Shiseido Tahiti Pro in giant glassy tubes at the Olympic venue
of Teahupo'o on Thursday, showcasing the spectacular potential
of the world's best surfers in perfect waves for the world's
biggest sporting event.
    Tokyo Games gold medallist Ferreira beat Hawaiian John John
Florence, who will surf for the U.S. at the Paris Olympics, in
flawless but fearsome waves of 4-5 metres.
    Ferreira got the perfect start to the final, watching
Florence get pummelled on his first wave then catching two
absolute bombs for a pair of excellent scores.
    Florence fought back with the highest wave of the final, a
9.33 out of 10 for a fierce barrel, but could not reel in
Ferreira, who ended with a two-wave heat total of 17.70 out of
20.
    "I missed this event last year and finally I got my win here
and I'm really, really stoked," said Ferreira, after being
congratulated by a jet ski-riding French Polynesia President
Moetai Brotherson. "That's it, job done."
    With the Olympics set to start in less two months, the
choice of Teahupo'o in the French overseas territory for the
surfing competition looked inspired on Thursday.
    In the best surf conditions for several years on the world
championship tour, almost every competitor had highlight reel
moments, being shot out of the giant blue barrels into cheering
crowds of spectator boats in the channel.
    But mistakes were punished hard. 
    Florence was left spitting out blood after one wipeout early
in the day while Brazil's Gabriel Medina got clipped at the end
of an incredible cavern in his semi-final against Florence,
coming up with his back scrapped and bleeding from the sharp
coral reef.
    Rubbing salt into those wounds, Florence caught the next
wave and wrestled the dangerous foam ball in the tube for a
9.77, establishing a lead he never relinquished and cruising
into the final.
    Ferreira, who missed out on the Brazil team for Paris, had
earlier dispatched countryman Yago Dora in the quarter-final and
then Morocco's hard-charging Olympian Ramzi Boukhiam in their
semi-final.        
    Tahitian wildcard Vahine Fierro established herself as a
favourite for Olympic gold at her home break with a win over
fellow Olympian Brisa Hennessy from Costa Rica on Wednesday.
    

 (Reporting by Lincoln Feast in Sydney; Editing by Peter
Rutherford
)
 ((lincoln.feast@thomsonreuters.com; +61 478320778;))