Morgan Cibilic seeks return to the WSL elite.
Photo: Disclosure / WSL / Esporte News Mundo
Surfer Morgan Cibilic is competing in the WSL stage in Bells Beach as a wildcard, replacing Brazilian João Chianca, known as Chumbinho. In his debut season on the tour, in 2021, the Australian caught the attention of the surfing world with his powerful, fast and beautiful maneuvers. The incredible period earned Cibilic the “rookie of the year” award, rookie of the year in Portuguese.
The athlete’s meteoric rise took him to the WSL finals, ending the competition in California ranked fifth in the world. During the course, Cibilic was defeated by Gabriel Medina, world champion of the year, in four stages. Even so, he racked up a runner-up finish in Rottnest Search, a third place in Newcastle and a fifth place in Narrabeen. Coincidentally, all of these defeats had the Brazilian as the perpetrator.
In the grand final stage of the WSL, Morgan was eliminated in a dispute with the American Conner Coffin, but fans were left with a feeling of “I want more” in relation to the young competitor. Skipping ahead to the following season, the Australian fell to the cut at the Margaret River stage, placing in a poor 29th place and unable to complete the league’s ten stops. The elimination generated a huge repercussion in the sport and many people did not understand how Cibilic had been demoted after such a magnificent year.
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Determined to pick up the pieces and have a bounce-back season in the 2023 Challenger Series, Morgan Cibilic saw his plans go wrong once again as he ended his participation in a modest 16th position. Unable to qualify for the 2024 CT, the Australian is waiting for a new start in CS to fight for a place in surfing’s main division.
For now, Cibilic is invited to participate in the Bells Beach stage, which is off until Saturday (30), 6pm Brasília time. Disputing the round of 32 with compatriot Jack Robinson, Morgan took control of the confrontation and advanced to the stage with a total of 13.64, which included an important 7.27 in his opening wave. Now, the surfer awaits the return of the competition to face fellow Australian Ryan Callinan in the round of 16.
