Aussie surf hopes on hold as lay-day called at Rio Pro

| June 25, 2023

Australian surfers Tyler Wright and Liam O’Brien have been given further time to reflect on their successful start at the World Surf League’s Rio Pro, after competition was postponed for day two. 

Inconsistent conditions at Saquarema’s Praia de Itauna forced organisers to call a lay-day for Saturday, putting the brakes on the men’s and women’s elimination rounds. 

“We went on hold several times this morning to monitor the conditions and see if there were any waves with scoring potential,” the WSL’s Director of Tours and Competition Renato Hickel said. 

“Unfortunately, there were not, so we called the event off for the day. We will come back tomorrow morning to try again.”

World No.2 Wright and Gold Coast surfer O’Brien were among those who moved straight into the bracket stage after winning their opening heats on Friday.

Wright, returning to the scene of her 2017 Rio Pro victory, eased into the quarter-finals with victory over the USA’s Caitlin Simmers and Johanne Defay of France. 

The two-time world champion left nothing to chance, earning the highest single-wave score of the women’s opening round with a 7.17.

Australia’s No.4-ranked Molly Picklum faces an elimination heat against Defay, while eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore will be missing from the last eight after losing out to rising star Bettylou Sakura Johnson.

There was also a strong start for O’Brien, who stunned world No.1 Griffin Colapinto in heat four of the men’s section to progress.

World No.4 Ethan Ewing, the only Australian in the men’s top five, and Newcastle’s Ryan Callinan join O’Brien in the next round, while Connor O’Leary, Jack Robinson and Callum Robson all face elimination heats when competition re-starts.