Brazil’s Gabriel Medina has stunned Australia’s best surfers to claim what he feels could be a breakthrough world surfing championship victory on the Gold Coast.
The 20-year-old, who broke his leg in the opening rounds at Snapper Rocks last year, knocked out world champion Mick Fanning and Taj Burrow before pipping Joel Parkinson by just 0.06 of a point in a dramatic final on Tuesday.
Medina trailed for most of the 35-minute final against 2012 world champion Parkinson, who looked unbeatable despite breaking a board early in the heat.
But just as he did against Fanning and Burrow, Medina left it late to secure the win, scoring an 8.50 and a 7.83 with his last two waves to post a two-wave total of 16.33.
Long touted as a championship prospect, Medina admitted he was thinking his amazing day could be the start of something special in 2014.
“This is the best day of my life for sure,” he said.
“I would never have imagined this one.
“That’s my goal – a world title. I’ve started good and I’ll try to keep my work going and focus all year.”
A devastated Parkinson, who surfed brilliantly all day, particularly on his way to a semi-final score of 18.70, had to console himself with back-to-back runner-up finishes at his home event.
And while he admitted the result hurt, he still heads to next month’s Margaret River Classic in Western Australia second on the championship and with a handy points buffer over rivals Fanning and Kelly Slater, both eliminated in the quarter-finals.
“It’s a good way to start the year but so gut-wrenching that it was at Snapper and so good and I felt like I was on a roll,” he said.
“It happens, man. The kid’s an amazing surfer. Gabriel is so talented.
“You look for results here and that’s one. That’s a box ticked now and there’s a long year to go.”
Fanning was also keeping positive after his fifth-place finish.
The three-time world champion is yet to defend a crown but doesn’t think his Snapper Rocks result will prove detrimental in the final analysis.
“Fifth’s a keeper,” Fanning said.
“If I lost in the third round, then I would probably be banging my head against the wall.
“But fifth is a good base. It’s not a throwaway or anything.”
