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by Paulo Piqueres - surfworldtour.blogspot.com
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The event in the islands Fiji is the Fifth stage of the 2017 season, so almost halfway of the World Circuit of Surfing.
The championship in Fiji started on June 4th, and continued till June 14th, on Day "11"; In the beginning of competition were disputed heats till the heat 4 of the Round 3, which Gabriel Medina(BRA)was defeated by Italo Ferreira(BRA)-who returned to the Tour after injured-for small difference.
After the event was "lay day" for 7 days.-from June 6th to 12th-
On last Tuesday, the Sea with better conditions let the committee restart the 2017 Outerknown Fiji Pro. The remaining heats of the Round 3 were disputed. And suddenly all top surfers in the Ranking Jeep Learders were defeated , as follows:
Round 3
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Leonardo Fioravanti(ITA)16.83 x 13.33 John John Florence(HAW)
Joan Duru(FRA)17.60 x 11.73 Jordy Smith(RSA)
Ian Gouveia(BRA)15.66 x 15.26 Owen Wright(AUS)
Stuart Kennedy(AUS)14.83 x 14.33 Adriano de Souza(BRA)
Also the 11 times World Champion was defeated:
Connor O'Leary(AUS)10.74 x 10.34 Kelly Slater(USA)
And the 2014 World Champion was defeated too:
Italo Ferreira(BRA)15.83 x 15.47 Gabriel Medina(BRA).
The Hawaiian surfer John John Florence(HAW)entered the water with the Yellow Jersey, but was defeated by the Italian surfer Leonardo Fioravanti(ITA)that is surfing better this year in the elite of World Surfing, has already competed in Barra da Tijuca and Grumari, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016 with Wild Card.
The Round 4 has 12(twelve)top surfers divided in four heats of three-man.
- 6 Australians;
- 2 Brazilians;
- 1 French;
- 1 Italian:
- 1 Hawaiian;
- 1 Tahitian.
The forecast said a big swell is arriving in Fiji, with high waves in Cloubreak...
The competition continued on the Round 4, and was "stand by" on June in Fiji.
From 6 Australians classified to the Round 4, half of them, three overcame their rivals, as follows:
Bede Durbidge(AUS), Connor O'Leary(AUS) and Matt Wilkinson(AUS), The Australians surfers and the Tahitian Michel Bourez(PYF), are already guaranteed in the Quarterfinals.
The Round 5 had two remaining Brazilians Ian Gouveia(BRA) and Italo Ferreira(BRA)that were still looking for the title in Fiji.
In the Round 5, the Australian surfer-Stuart Kennedy(AUS) and the Hawaiian surfer-Sebastian Zietz(HAW) besides the Brazilians were defeated in OK Fiji Pro.
Five Australians surfers, a French surfer, an Italian surfer and a Tahitian surfer were classsified to the Quarterfinals.
Then three Australians won and went to Semifinals with a Tahitian surfer.
Semifinals
Two Australian surfers won the heats - Matt Wilkinson(AUS) and Connor O'Leary(AUS) went to the
Final
O'Leary(AUS)that disputed his first Final in the elite of World Surfing. Connor O'Leary(AUS)surfed very well in Fiji, and in the last stages of the tour too.
Matt Wilkinson(AUS)overcame his opponents in searching the title of the season in the Ranking, and will wear the Yellow Jersey in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. We can not forget that Matt Wilkinson(AUS)was the 5th in 2016 Top Surfers Ranking, and was with the Yellow Jersey in the first stages of last season, including in Brazil.
On halfway of 2017, the World Championship of Surfing has five surfers on the top of Ranking Jeep Leaders with small difference of points, as follows:
RANKING JEEP LEADERS
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1st-M. Wilkinson (AUS) 26,750
2nd-J. J. Florence(HAW)26,500
3rd-A. de Souza(BRA) 26,500
J. Smith(RSA) 26,500
O. Wright(AUS) 26,500
6th -Joel Parkinson(AUS) 22,650
7th -Connor O'Leary(AUS) 18,450
11th -Gabriel Medina(BRA)14,500
The 2014 World Champion, Gabriel Medina(BRA)won the event in Fiji last year, and started a recovery campaign in the season, however there are more six events remaining, the haflway of the season did not arrive yet entirely.
Let's wait for...
WSL -WORLD SURF LEAGUE
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