Ethan Ewing has returned to the same wave where he broke his back last year to qualify for the third round of Olympic surfing.
The Queenslander fractured two vertebrae in 2023 at the feared Teahupo’o break in Tahiti, which as part of French Polynesia is hosting surfing for the Paris Games.
He had no such problems on Saturday (early Sunday AEST), topping a low-scoring heat to reach the last 16.
Fellow Aussie Jack Robinson wasn’t as lucky, pipped at the post by home hope Joan Duru.
Ewing caught the first wave of the Olympics after being drawn in the first heat, disappearing in a typical Teahupo’o barrel for a score of 7.33.
The Queenslander then bided his time, allowing Tim Elter of Germany and South African Jordy Smith to put two scores on the board before heading back for his second effort.
Such was the quality of his first ride, Ewing’s opening barrel of 7.33 outscored his competitors when they had two efforts on the board.
When Smith eked ahead of Ewing, the world No.5 was prompted back into a second ride with just 82 seconds left in the heat, charting 2.57 for a winning score of 9.90.
In the second heat, Robinson employed a similar tactic, putting a 6.83 scoring ride on the board early.
Facing scoreboard pressure from Frenchman Duru, the Western Australian returned to the barrel for a 6.53 which commentators called “hardcore, critical surfing off a late drop” to sit on 13.36.
While Robinson should be satisfied with his efforts, Doru denied him a day off with a late ride of 7.67, finishing on 13.84.
Australia’s two hopes in the women’s event – two-time world champion Tyler Wright and Molly Picklum – take to the water for their opening heats later in the day.
– AAP
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