MICK Fanning has showed there’s life in the “old boy” yet, eliminating Japanese world No.1 Kanoa Igarashi after coming out of retirement to pursue a fifth Bells Beach title.<\/p>\n
The 40-year-old four-time champion, who quit the World Surf League tour in 2018, overcame the Olympic silver-medallist in a Thursday thriller.<\/p>\n
He led a stunning eight-strong Aussie charge into the top 16, alongside Owen Wright, Jackson Baker, Ethan Ewing, Connor O’Leary, Morgan Cibilic, Callum Robson and Jack Robinson.<\/p>\n
American veteran Kelly Slater, 11-times world champion and current world No.2, bowed out.<\/p>\n
Slater said he was still recovering from a recent bout of COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Former world No.1 and 2019 Bells champion John John Florence banked the best score of the day, with the Hawaiian earning a 9.93 to advance.<\/p>\n
Igarashi needed 8.94 to move past Fanning and provided a heart-stopper in the last wave of the heat, but only managed 8.0.<\/p>\n
Fanning won Bells as a teenage wildcard in 2001 and retired after he last surfed the event in 2018, when he lost to Italo Ferreira in the final.<\/p>\n
“As a wildcard you want to come in and put on a performance,” Fanning, who was swamped by fans on the beach, said.<\/p>\n
“Going up against the world No.1 I had nothing to lose I just came here to have fun.”<\/p>\n
After catching six waves in the 30-minute heat he said he was feeling “gassed”.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t realise my fitness level wasn’t up to it,” Fanning said.<\/p>\n
“I’m thinking about getting some air – I’m gassed – this old boy ain’t fit.”<\/p>\n
Wright, the Olympic bronze medallist, knocked out Griffin Colapinto in the first heat, outscoring the American 13.67 to 12.34 in a tight eliminator.<\/p>\n
World No.7 Colapinto came into the competition as one of the form surfers after winning his first title in Portugal last month.<\/p>\n
After a slow start Wright was trailing Colapinto with four minutes to go in the heat before he scored a 7.50 with his third wave to take the lead.<\/p>\n
The Californian couldn’t respond, allowing Wright to keep alive his hopes of climbing the rankings.<\/p>\n
Wright came into the event ranked a lowly equal-31st and needs good results here and at the next stop at Margaret River before the field is cut to 24 for the remaining events.<\/p>\n
The 32-year-old was emotional after reaching the last 16 for the first time this year and said he kept his focus on ringing the prized trophy’s bell for the first time.<\/p>\n
He has finished equal fifth at the famed surf break five times.<\/p>\n
“I haven’t passed that (round of 32) for a while so it was good,” Wright said.<\/p>\n
“I never count myself out to win, especially here at Bells as my whole goal is to ring the bell – it is every year.<\/p>\n
“I was out there thinking of the bell and that you never know how you’re going to get to that bell – a shaky start could be it.<\/p>\n
“I put that last wave to bed in the last five and by the time I got back out there was a minute left so it was a crucial wave.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MICK Fanning has showed there’s life in the “old boy” yet, eliminating Japanese world No.1 Kanoa Igarashi after coming out of retirement to pursue a fifth Bells Beach title. The 40-year-old four-time champion, who quit the World Surf League tour in 2018, overcame the Olympic silver-medallist in a Thursday thriller. He led a stunning eight-strong […]<\/p>\n