The real John John Florence is back

Italo Ferreira lost, Julian has everything to leave as the sole leader; on another day of solid waves in Barrinha the 12 best of the Oi Rio Pro were defined


May 15, 2018
|EN News
|POR Pablo Zanocchi

After two events to forget and one in which things were going well but the sharks took over the lineup, two-time world champion John John Florence managed to return to the form that gave him two world titles: Risking the impossible and achieving it.

In his heat against Miguel Pupo he started conservatively, combining two good maneuvers, but in the next one he got tired and did an incredible full rotation. In the fourth one he went to hell, on a solid wave he did an impressive aerial, they paid him 9,8, added to the 8,17 of the previous one he marked the best sum of the tournament.

“It feels great to have done those aerials,” John John said. “I was looking at the wind and it was telling me to do some turns.”. But once I got a medium score I tried to do some aerials and got lucky. I'm looking forward to it.. I have been looking forward to the whole event so I am happy to move on and see what tomorrow brings.”

Ian Gouveia on a wave that everyone is still wondering why it wasn't a 10. Photo: WSL/Smorigo

Other new features include:
-Jordy Smith's defeat at the hands of Ian Gouveia who got a tube hit on his best wave

-Michael Rodriguez's victory over Fred Morais, which will surely put the Brazilian in the top 10 of the ranking

-That Julian Wilson, by narrowly beating Alejo Muniz, will surely leave Brazil as the only leader.

-That Medina's consistency killed the wildest wildcard, Mikey Wright

-And that Yago Dora beat the other leader, Italo Ferreira, at the last minute.

Very few would have predicted before the season started that Michael Rodrigues would be close to cracking the top 10. Photo: WSL/Poullenot

This is how the fourth round series are formed, which surfers on the net predict will take place tomorrow, Wednesday:
Series 1: Ian Gouveia (BRA), Michael Rodrigues (BRA), Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Series 2: Kolohe Andino (USA), Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Julian Wilson (AUS)
Series 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Series 4: Yago Dora (BRA), Wade Carmichael (AUS), John John Florence (HAW)

Ladies Round 3
Series 1: Tyler Wright (AUS), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Keely Andrew (AUS)
Series 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), Caroline Marks (USA)
Series 3: Lakey Peterson (USA), Johanne Defay (FRA), Silvana Lima (BRA)
Series 4: Carissa Moore (HAW), Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Sage Erickson (USA)

Keep an eye on Seba Zietz, who has been quietly passing the series. Photo: WSL/Poullenot
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