Tokyo | Australia’s hopes of a surfing gold medal suffered a crushing blow as world no.5 Stephanie Gilmore crashed out of the women’s competition, losing to rank outsider Bianca Buitendag of South Africa in their last 16 heat early on Monday morning.
Though the waves were bigger and more powerful than those on offer during Sunday’s opening session, choosing which one to ride proved difficult and Gilmore, who posted the best scores on the opening day, came up short in her selections as Buitendag swept to victory.
