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6 months ago
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Rising Aussie surfer Willow Hardy is officially a junior world champion after she was almost pulled off her board and verbally abused in a shocking display of bad sportsmanship.
Hardy was a member of the Australian team that won the International Surfing Association world junior championship in El Salvador on Saturday, snaring the overall title for the first time in 11 years.
But before hoisting the trophy with her teammates, Hardy needed a score of 2.40 to advance to the final with less than a minute remaining in the under-18 girls' repechage heat.
In extraordinary scenes, her Portuguese opponent Erica Maximo had a moment of madness, dropping in on Hardy - who had priority on the wave - before attempting to push the stunned Aussie off her board as the heat drew to a dramatic close.
Maximo then yelled abuse at Hardy and tried to grab her leash in another attempt to illegally rob her of the win.
Rising Aussie surfer Willow Hardy (pictured) is officially a junior world champion - but her crowning achievement was shrouded in controversy
Portugal's Erica Maximo (pictured left) had a moment of madness at the ISA world junior titles in El Salvador, dropping in on Hardy and attempting to push the stunned Aussie (right) off her board as the heat drew to a dramatic close
Hardy showed composure beyond her years to stay upright - and scored a 2.70 from the judges to advance in chaotic circumstances.
Maximo later cried as she posted a grovelling apology on social media - but she was disqualified after Aussie coach Pete Duncan lodged a successful protest.
'I committed an interference on the Australian surfer's wave in an unsportsmanlike manner,' Maximo said.
'I just wanted to help my team but I recognise my mistake and I am here to apologise to the Australian surfer, the Australian team and the ISA.
'I wanted to record this video to make my case an example for other athletes.'
'While there is a tactical element to competitive surfing, there is no place for unsporting conduct,' Duncan told News Corp.
Hardy is one of Australia's best emerging talents, drawing high praise when she excelled against some of the world's best at the Margaret River Pro when she was just 14
'We are incredibly proud of the way Willow remained composed in what was an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation.'
Hardy is based at Margaret River in Western Australia drew high praise from then world number one Carissa Moore in 2021 after their heat at the Margaret River Pro.
'I didn't give Willow any advice, as she doesn't need any,' Moore said at the time.
'She is a charger — I've been watching her surf for many years now and I am a big fan.'
Hardy - who was just 14 at the time - also competed against former world champion Stephanie Gilmore.
Hardy's heroics in El Salvador proved crucial, with individual gold medals for Dane Henry (under-18 boys) and Ziggy Mackenzie (under-16 girls) backed up by a silver medal for Fletcher Kelleher (under-18 boys) and copper for Milla Brown (under-18 girls).
The grommet from Western Australia is widely regarded as one of the nation's emerging surfing talents
Mackenzie joined some elite company, with fellow Australian surfing greats Stephanie Gilmore and Tyler Wright previous winners at te junior level.
'I'm so stoked,' she said. 'I feel like all the work that I've put in and all the support from the Australian team has come together.
'I think everyone was so excited but so nervous at the same time coming into this event ... we've got such a strong team and we really wanted to just push as hard as we could.'
The team performance at La Bocana was so emphatic that victory was virtually secured before the final day of competition.
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