Heartbreak for Tyler Wright and Ethan Ewing as Aussie judge removed in Olympics surfing scandal
Wright and Ewing were eliminated after Australian surfing judge Ben Lowe landed himself in hot water.
Australia's world champion Tyler Wright has been eliminated in the quarter-finals of the surfing competition at the Olympics, but compatriot Jack Robinson moved past fellow Aussie Ethan Ewing to make the semis. Robinson and Ewing put on a mighty show with the highest-scoring contest of the day on Friday.
But Robinson emerged victorious by a score of 15.33 to 13.00 and will have the chance to join Owen Wright to become the sole Australian to medal in Olympic surfing. Owen's sister Tyler also had a chance to move into medal contention, but was cruelled in her quarter-final when she couldn't get a decent wave at the death.
In a low-scoring encounter against Caroline Marks, Wright needed a score of just 4.28 to jump the American and win. But with a minute left on the clock, Wright saw the set she'd been waiting for break further out to sea than she'd anticipated, and Marks triumphed 7.77 to 5.37.
Wright revealed she carried minor injuries into her quarter-final after a run-in with the shallow reef in the previous round. "The hand's scraped, the leg's scraped, I'll have a big old bruise on my hip," she said.
Australian judge Ben Lowe removed and sent home over photo
The quarter-finals came after Australian judge Ben Lowe was removed from his role and sent home from the Olympics over a photo featuring himself and Ewing. The photo emerged on Thursday ahead of the quarter-finals of the men's and women's events in Tahiti - where the Olympic surfing competition is being held.
Lowe could be seen posing for a photo with Ewing and surfing coach Bede Durbidge, featuring the caption: "These three Straddie [Stradbroke Island] boys doing their stuff at the Olympics". The International Surfing Association (ISA) took a dim view of the judge and competitor mingling and felt it was 'inappropriate' considering Lowe is supposed to be impartial.
"It is inappropriate for a judge to be interacting in this manner with an athlete and their team," the ISA said in a statement. Lowe is an experienced judge on the World Surfing League's global tour, but has been stood down in accordance with the ISA's code of conduct and the International Olympic Committee's code of ethics.
According to reports he's also been sent home from the Games. One person had written on social media: Why is judge Ben Lowe still actively acting...and why in this photo is he next to surfers who are in the competition that he is supposed to be impartial?"
Tyler Wright can't get past quarter-finals of Olympics surfing
Wright had earlier booked a quarter-final spot after some brilliant surfing in her final heat in French Polynesia. The two-time Australian world champion spent three days on the beach (due to small swell) before returning to the Tahitian waters on Friday (Aussie time), dispatching Israel's Anat Lelior by 11.10 to 7.74.
She then faced another one-time World Surf League winner in Marks in the quarters, but couldn't get the job done. With Robinson progressing, it means at least one Aussie surfer will compete for a medal.
The swell in Teahupo'o had calmed after two storm-affected lay-days, allowing the women's field to complete their heats. Wright had to wait even longer, as the heat 1 winner bypassed the second heat, meaning she hadn't competed since Monday.
Wright seized the initiative from the get-go against Lelior, booking an early 5.83 to claim the lead. Her small second score - 2.67 - left the door open to challenge, so the 30-year-old took on a smaller wave with darting turns.
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Unfortunately it carried the Aussie too close to shore, and she was left floating above the dangerous shallow reef. Lelior then seized the initiative, and the Israeli had a dip at a couple of waves in Wright's absence, but wasn't able to score big, leaving the competition poised at 8.50 to 7.74 with 10 minutes to go.
A decent ride from either woman could have booked a quarter-final place, and Lelior needed to find just 3.84 if Wright wasn't able to improve. But the Australian showed her class, holding her nerve at the back of the surf and eventually finding the barrel she wanted, scoring a 5.27 to close the door.
with AAP
