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Cibilic stars to register best WSL result

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Novocastrian Morgan Cibilic has climbed to No. 5 on the 2021 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) following a brilliant second placing at the Rip Curl Rottnest Search presented by Corona today.

Strickland Bay, in Western Australia, turned it on once again on Tuesday 25 May with four-to-six foot waves for what was an epic final day of not only this event but also the four-tournament Australian leg.

Two-time WSL champion Gabriel Medina continued his blistering form with his second win this season – and the 16th CT victory of his career.

The Brazilian has made it to four out of five deciders in 2021 and has all but guaranteed himself a spot in the Rip Curl WSL Finals.

Medina saved one of his best performances for last against rookie Cibilic.

His commitment to rail and above the lip surfing, going both left and right, was a perfect match with the punchy walls on Rottnest.

Medina’s 15.50 two-wave combination (out of a possible 20) was enough to see him clinch his second Rip Curl Search trophy, almost a decade after securing his first at the Rip Curl Search San Francisco.

“This has been such a good start to the season for me and I’m just so happy to keep the momentum going,” he said.

“My wife’s birthday is coming up and she said she wanted the trophy because it’s so pretty, so I’m so happy to have it now.”

It was the fourth time this season Medina and Cibilic went head-to-head, with the former taking victory in every match-up so far.

Gabriel Medina and Morgan Cibilic following the final of the Rip Curl Rottnest Search presented by Corona today. Photo: Cait Miers/World Surf League via Getty Images

While the Merewether young gun is still searching for a win over one of the best surfers of this generation, he now adds a runner-up finish to his equal third and fifth placings from earlier this year – and moves into the top five on the rankings.

He continues to lead the race to the 2021 CT rookie of the year. 

“This feels unbelievable, to be honest,” Cibilic said.

“Coming into these last couple of events, I’ve come into them with a lot of confidence and a final hasn’t felt too out of reach.

“But, I guess if you asked me last year if I’d get a quarter-final, a semi-final and a final finish from the four Australian events, I would have told you that you were tripping.

“It feels amazing, so I’m super stoked.

“I was really nervous in my semi-final against Liam, probably more so than the final.

“He and I grew up competing against each other and have a pretty good rivalry and always want to beat each other.

“In the final, I felt ready to go but the waves were slow and Gabby was ripping so not much I could do there.

“I’m still stoked though.”

The next stop on the road to the Rip Curl WSL Finals will be the Jeep Surf Ranch Pro, which will run from 18-20 June.

Rip Curl Rottnest Search women’s final results: 

  • 1 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.24
  • 2 – Johanne Defay (FRA) 11.23

Rip Curl Rottnest Search men’s final results: 

  • 1 – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.50
  • 2 – Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 7.87

Rip Curl Rottnest Search women’s semi-final results: 

  • HEAT 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.43 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 7.64
  • HEAT 2: Johanne Defay (FRA) 13.50 DEF. Carissa Moore (HAW) 12.83

Rip Curl Rottnest Search men’s semi-final results:

  • HEAT 1: Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 10.67 DEF. Liam O’Brien (AUS) 8.33
  • HEAT 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.70 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 7.17

WSL Women’s Championship Tour Final 5: 

  • 1 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 36,055 pts
  • 2 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 28,185 pts 
  • 3 – Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 27,540 pts 
  • 4 – Tyler Wright (AUS) 26,050 pts 
  • 5 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 24,645 pts
  • 5 – Johanne Defay (FRA) 24,645 pts

WSL Men’s Championship Tour Final 5:  

  • 1 – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 38,920 pts
  • 2 – Italo Ferreira (BRA) 30,325 pts
  • 3 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 22,505 pts
  • 4 – Filipe Toledo (BRA) 22,065 pts
  • 5 – Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 21,290 pts

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