Quarter-final finish to seal WSL Championship Tour spot for Wright

GOLD Coaster Mikey Wright looks to have sealed a spot on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour for 2019 after his quarter-final spot at the Quiksilver Pro in France.

GOLD Coaster Mikey Wright looks to have sealed a spot on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour for 2019 after his quarter-final spot at the Quiksilver Pro in France.

Wright gained a wildcard to compete at the event, as he has for most of the events on the CT tour this season.

And after semi-final placings at Bali and Uluwatu, he continued to push deep into the event, reaching the last eight before being beaten by eventual winner Julian Wilson.

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Mikey Wright in action at the Quiksilver Pro France at Hossegor. Photo: WSL

Wilson sits in third place on the competition ladder behind Brazilians Gabriel Medina and Filipe Toledo and remains in contention for the world title.

But he knows the ability of Wright, who beat him in Bali in Round 3 in a result that could prove crucial to his world title hopes.

The result in France pushed Wright - the brother of championship tour surfers Owen and Tyler - to eighth place on the men’s tour and with just two events to go, and surfers able to ditch their worst two results of the season, the 28-year-old is likely to remain in the top 22 and reclaim his place on the top tour next year.

Owen Wright with brother Mikey at the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast earlier this year. Photo: World Surf League

Despite having spent most of the season on the CT, Wright is also likely to guarantee his qualification by finishing in the top 10 on the Qualifying Tour.

The men’s tour heads to Portugal this week for the Rip Curl Pro, with Gold Coaster Joel Parkinson taking part in the second-last event of his professional career ahead of his retirement after the Pipeline Masters.