TEAM Australia has finished on a high after team captain Sally Fitzgibbons, from Gerroa, claimed the gold medal in the women’s division at the UR ISA World Surfing Games at Long Beach, Tahara.
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Fitzgibbons defeated Paige Hareb (New Zealand), Bianca Buitendag (South Africa) and Summer Macedo (United States) in a dominant display, posting a massive 18.64 point heat total in small but contestable conditions in the final to secure the women's individual gold medal and a silver medal for Team Australia.
Fitzgibbon won six of the seven heats she contested over the week-long event in a dominant display of surfing.
Aussie Holly Wawn had an extremely strong campaign, falling just one heat short of the final while teammate Phillipa Anderson charged through the repechage rounds to finish strongly in repechage 10 to help secure Team Australia a silver medal behind host nation Japan.
The team, who are supported by Surfing Australia’s elite program manager Bede Durbidge and coach Tim Macdonald, finished as follows; Fitzgibbons (gold medal), Wawn (round six main draw), Philippa Anderson (repechage round 10), Kai Tandler round three main draw), Callum Robson (repechage round three) and Dextar Muskens (repechage round six).
