The achievement was remarkable for surfer Anat Lelior: The Israeli put together an outstanding performance Thursday night into Friday at the prestigious WSL event in Tahiti, reaching the final and finishing a highly impressive second.
Lelior came within inches of a historic title. She led for most of the closely contested final, but Canadian Erin Brooks staged a dramatic comeback with two particularly strong waves toward the end. The 19-year-old Brooks won with 17.20 points, compared with 16.33 for the Israeli.
Anat Lelior
(Photo: Sean M. Haffey\Getty Images)
Lelior's run to the final was impressive by any measure. On Wednesday, she made headlines by turning in a brilliant performance to knock out world No. 1 Gabriela Bryan. In the quarterfinals, she defeated local surfer Vahiné Fierro 9.50-6.53, then crushed Portugal's Yolanda Hopkins in the semifinals with an inspiring 12.50-3.43 victory to book her place in the title showdown.