Registered or Premium Member? LOG IN | Not a Premium Member? TRY PREMIUM FREE NOW
|
FRANCE RULES IN OZ
Pauline Ado wins Billabong World Juniors at North Narabeen
Photos: All photos: ASP/Robertson
|
January 6, 2009
|
|
Seventeen-year-old Pauline Ado just became the first non-Australian girl to claim the ASP Junior World Title at three- to four-foot North Narrabeen.
"I didn't watch Bethany [Hamilton] on her last wave [in the final], but I could hear the crowd and the commentators in the background," Ado said. "I thought she had won, but luckily for me, it wasn't the case." |
|
Previous
|
It's the most important junior event of the year -- for the most part, win this, make the final or even the semis and you can pretty much expect to become World Tour material in just a matter of years. Pauline now joins the ranks of past ASP World Junior Champions Jessi Miley-Dyer, Nicola Atherton and Sally Fitzgibbons -- all three past champions qualifying for the ASP Women's World Tour within one season of claiming the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. "I have so much confidence now going into 2009," Pauline said. "I really want to do well in the ASP WQS and hopefully qualify for the ASP Women's World Tour, but for now, I'm just stoked to be ASP World Junior Champion." Pauline will also receive a guaranteed seed into the second-to-last seeded round of all ASP WQS events in 2009, giving her an advantage as she vies for a position on the World Tour in 2010. As for the other finalists and semi-finalists, they might be a tiny bit disappointed not to have won but they're undoubtedly happy to have gotten that far and proven themselves able to mingle easily with the future's best of the best. "I'm really happy with my performance at this event," Bethany said. "To make the final is really good for me. I haven't had a good result in a while so hopefully this will give me some confidence for the rest of the year -- I'm kind of bummed about that last wave, but I guess that's surfing." "I'm bummed, but when you look at it, it's a great result even though I got the same as last year," North America's Courtney Conlogue said, on a similar note, after losing out in the semis. "I'm happy with my result. It's a great start to the year, but the final would have been even better. Hopefully now I can follow through and have a strong year." Joining Courtney in an equal 3rd place finish, Leila Hurst saw her best result at this event in the three years she's been partaking. "This year will be a big year doing all the ASP Pro Junior events and some ASP WQS events," she said of 2009. She and the rest of the girls will have some heavy competition in each other. BILLABONG ASP WORLD JUNIORS (WOMEN) FINAL Pauline Ado def. Bethany Hamilton BILLABONG ASP WORLD JUNIORS (WOMEN) SEMIFINAL RESULTS SF 1: Pauline Ado def. Courtney Conlogue SF 2: Bethany Hamilton def. Leila Hurst BILLABONG ASP WORLD JUNIORS (WOMEN) QUARTERFINAL RESULTS QF 1: Pauline Ado def. Arini Mason QF 2: Courtney Conlogue def. Paige Hareb QF 3: Leila Hurst def. Diana Cristina QF 4: Bethany Hamilton def. Laura Enever MORE WOMENS SURFLINE HOME PAGE |