Steph Gilmore takes down reigning world champ Caity Simmers on the Gold Coast
Eight-time world champ Steph Gilmore continued her stunning return to action at the Gold Coast Pro, eliminating reigning world champ Caity Simmers on Thursday morning.
Gilmore, 37, ended more than a year out of competition by entering the event at her home break at Burleigh Heads as a wildcard.
After waiting three days to get back in the surf, the Australian legend went head-to-head with 19-year-old Simmers, who won last year's world championship and entered the Gold Coast event as the world's second-ranked surfer, in their round of 16 clash.
Showing she's still got what it takes to rules the waves, Gilmore's final wave score of 6.17 proved enough to hold off her teen rival by less than a point in a stunning result.
'Caity's one of my favorite surfers, and you know, she's the current world champion, and she's probably everyone's favorite surfer ... so yeah, it's nerve wracking surfing against people like that,' Gilmore said.
'It really brings out the best in you, because you just, you have to find ways to win and dig deep and find new strategies and stuff.
Steph Gilmore has stunned reigning world champ Caity Simmers. Picture: Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League
'I guess I'm gonna have to go the whole way now. Caity said 'if you take my points, you better take all the points', so we'll see what happens.'
Earlier in the day, Australian star Molly Picklum continued to put the disappointment of an early exit at Bells Beach behind her with a brilliant round-of-16 win that propelled her into the quarter-finals.
Picklum delivered two eight-point rides to take down American Bella Kenworthy in her pursuit of a major win on home soil.
Originally published as Surfing as a wildcard at the Gold Coast Pro, Steph Gilmore ousts reigning world champ Caity Simmers
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