Courtney Conlogue out of Roxy Pro at Snapper Rocks with foot injury

ONE of the main threats to an Australian winning the women’s world surfing crown is out of the Roxy Pro with Courtney Conlogue fracturing her foot in a major blow to her title assault.

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ONE of the main threats to an Australian winning the women’s world surfing crown for the third successive year has suffered an early season injury with Courtney Conlogue fracturing her foot in a training session in a major blow to her title assault.

The American surfer is out of the opening event of the year, this month’s Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast, with the fracture of her fifth metatarsal and could also be absent for a defence of her Rip Curl Pro crown at Bells Beach later in the month.

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Conlogue has won at Bells the past two years and would join only a handful of three-time women’s winners if she repeated the feat this season.

Courtney Conlogue competing in France last year.

Conlogue, who held the No. 1 world ranking for a number of events last year, revealed on Sunday she was unable to surf the opener of the WSL women’s world tour.

‘I’m looking forward to being back — I’m not sure when — but I’m doing the best to heal as quick as I can,” Conlogue said.

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After leading the world title race in 2018, Conlogue was overtaken by the Australian armada of Tyler Wright, Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons to finish fourth overall.

Courtney Conlogue, Teresa Bonvalot and Sally Fitzgibbons in Portugal last year.

She was being backed to be a major threat this season in her hunt for a maiden world crown.

“It is never easy to pull out of an event, especially when you’re so excited to get the new season going,” Conlogue said on Twitter.

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“However, my excitement for my return in a jersey continues to grow.”

The event window for the event starts from march 11 with Stephanie Gilmore winning the Roxy Pro last year and Tyler Wright the crown in 2016.