Surfing-Brazil's Medina wins second world title at Pipeline
ByReuters
Published 17/12/2018 at 23:45 GMT
Dec 17 (Reuters) - Gabriel Medina won the men's World Surfing League championship for the second time when he advanced to the final of the Billabong Pipe Masters in Oahu, Hawaii on Monday.
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The Brazilian, who was also world champion in 2014, ensured he would end the two-year reign of Hawaiian John John Florence by beating South African Jordy Smith in the semi-finals.
Medina, who had scored a rare 10 in his quarter-final, made the most of perfect conditions at Pipeline to secure 9.10 on his best ride to give him a two-wave total of 16.27.
Needing a 7.78 to get in front of the Brazilian, Smith waited anxiously for one more wave to arrive but never got his chance as time ran out leaving him on 15.83.
"This means a lot to me," Medina said in a beachside interview after being mobbed by fans as he emerged from the surf.
"I put in a lot of work this year. It was an intense year, everything paid off. I can't find words at the moment.
"I'm so happy to win it again, go Brazil!"
In the final, Medina will take on his closest championship rival Julian Wilson to decide who will wrap up the season with a victory after the Australian beat American 11-time world champion Kelly Slater in the second semi.
"Everyone is pushing the limits, the level was really high this year," Medina added.
"All the boys are pushing me to train more, to surf more. That's my motivation. It's been a long year, really intense." (Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Nick Mulvenney)
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