Pauline Ado and Johanne Defay, both members of the professional elite (CT) dominated the women's tour, which began on Saturday, May 20. Pauline Ado won the gold medal on Monday, May 22, 2017, beating her French teammate Johanne Defay in the final, thus taking the title of vice-world champion.
Pauline Ado on the left and Johanne Defay on the right
"I'm so happy, it's the fourth time I've taken part in this competition, I reach the final each time, but I've never before been able to master a final well, to show my surfing. Plus I'm winning here in France. After some complicated results on the Tour, it feels really good. Since the first series, I see a lot of famous faces on the beach, I didn't expect all this. Yesterday in particular, it was moving to see all these people. Today, my family and friends were there, it's great. The conditions were complicated this morning, we didn't get as many big scores.
In the final, we had a kind of good energy with Johanne. For the team, it was important for each of us to get a big result. I managed to get two good waves at the beginning and that was enough. I haven't had a lot of series on the TC since the beginning of the season, it's a lack of rhythm that I'm lacking, but these Worlds have allowed me to have a lot of series, that's good. Now I hope to continue my momentum in Fiji." said Pauline Ado.
Pauline Ado
Costa Rican surfer Leilani McGonagle is 3rd and South African Bianca Buitendag (also a professional) finishes in 4th place.
A second French woman world champion since 2011
This is the second time since 2011 and the crowning of Cannelle Bulard, in Panama, that a French woman has climbed on the highest step of the podium at the ISA World Surfing Games. On the beach, the French team, starting with Jérémy Florès, Joan Duru, Vincent Duvignac and Dimitri Ouvré, exulted and carried the two blue girls off the water in triumph.
"I'm so happy for Pauline and the team. We got the job done. The conditions weren't easy this morning, it was small, we had a bit of a rough time. France is a very close-knit team. Since the juniors, they've been passing on these values to us, and that's very important. We've proved as competitors that when we're needed, we know how to respond. We had a good time together, the public supported us a lot. We now wish the boys good luck and good luck, it's not going to be easy because the conditions are going to be small. It's going to be war in my opinion! We're going to be supporting them from a distance because we're going to Fiji.
I would have liked to get there much earlier to train, but I saw that the conditions were rather small, so for the moment it won't take a lot of getting used to, it's rather good news. The work is being done upstream anyway, I'm confident in the work I've done in Reunion Island. I think it's going to pay off "said Johanne Defay.
Pauline Ado on the left and Johanne Defay on the right
In the semi-final, from 8 am on Monday 22nd May, Johanne Defay got the better of Pauline Ado in the small and complicated waves of the Grande Plage. This was thanks to a left on which she managed to perform three backside manoeuvres.
Their two opponents - Frankie Harrer and Ella Williams - failed to get into the rhythm of the sport and worried them. Despite the envy of Leilani McGonagle and Bianca Buitendag, the series was summed up as a duel between the two Frenchwomen on a more tormented stretch of water even at low tide.
French Duel
Pauline Ado hit hard with a 6.50 first to reward a left that was sprinkled with two backside turns. Johanne Defay's response was immediate or almost immediate (6.00), with the Basque and Réunionese rivalling each other in effort and technical skill on the rare lefts with potential under their daggerboards. Ten minutes from the buzzer, Pauline Ado broke a new backside sequence to take the lead in the heat.
Johanne Defay
Pauline Ado was able to maintain her leading position and sealed her lead in the final moments with a new left (5.67). This title comes for Pauline Ado after her title as ISA Junior World Champion in Brazil in 2006 and her third place at the previous ISA World Championships in Costa Rica last year.
A victory that should give her back her confidence after an average start to the season on the pro circuit where she is still looking for her first series win. The two young surfers have now moved on to Fiji, where the next stage of the CT will take place from 28 May to 2 June.
Pauline Ado
With the double signed by its two female surfers, the French team takes the lead in the nations ranking. A good omen in the race for the team title, which is Les Bleus' main objective in these World Surfing Games.
