One‑armed Hawaiian wildcard Bethany Hamilton has pulled off upset wins over two of Australia's best female surfers at the Fiji Pro.
After eliminating world ratings leader Tyler Wright in the second round, Hamilton ‑ who lost an arm in a shark attack when she was 13 in 2003 ‑ backed it up to beat six‑time world champion Stephanie Gilmore in the third round at Cloudbreak yesterday.
The 26-year-old lost her left arm to a 14‑foot tiger shark. It seemed her budding career as a surf star was over, but a month after the attack she returned to the water and within two years she won her first national title.
Gilmore will now face fellow‑Australian Nikki Van Dijk in a do‑or‑die fourth‑round battle, after the 21‑year‑old finished third to 2015 runner‑up Courtney Conlogue and Sage Erickson of the US in their third‑round heat.
Source : stuff.co
