Tuesday
14th May 2002
KENNELLY CONQUERS GIANT TEAHUPOO
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Hawaiian
Keala Kennelly on her way to victory at Teahupoo
All Photos courtesy: ASP
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Australian Melanie
Redman-Carr remains at the top of the women's World Championship Tour
ratings after the Billabong Pro Teahupoo in Tahiti.
Redman-Carr is over one 150 points ahead of nearest rival Lynette MacKenzie
and third placed Layne Beachley.
Beachley, who has won the world title four times, was within a whisker
of winning the event before Hawaiian Keala Kennelly turned up the heat
in well-overhead waves to clinch her third event title at the notorious
reef break by 22.9 points to 11.6.
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Teahupoo
winner Keala Kennelly
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Prior to the final,
the dangerous surf conditions resulted in numerous injuries. Eighteen-year-old
Chelsea Georgeson suffered a serious wipeout at the beginning of her third
round heat against Australian Serena Brooke and suffered cuts to her body
requiring seven stitches.
Courageously, Georgeson continued surfing.
For 23-year-old Kennelly, winning the final moved her up to fifth place
in the world rankings: "This is my favourite event, just for the wave.
I just want to come back here because it is a world class wave and really
challenging for everybody. It was super dangerous and everybody is covered
with cuts. Most of the barrels were not makeable, so it was really hard."
Official
results:
Final Keala Kennelly (Hawaii) bt Layne Beachley (Aus), 22.9pts
to 11.6
Semi-finals Kennelly bt Melanie Redman-Carr (Aus) by 15.15pts to
11;
Beachley bt Lisa Anderson (USA) by 14pts to 13.5.
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