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> News > Iberian Sweep as Adur Amatriain and Lucia Machado Claim E.Leclerc Pont L’Abbé Junior Pro La Torche Wins

surfing News

Iberian Sweep as Adur Amatriain and Lucia Machado Claim E.Leclerc Pont L’Abbé Junior Pro La Torche Wins

Lucia Machado (CNY) & Adur Amatriain (EUK) win stop #1 on the 2021 WSL Junior Series, the E.Leclerc Pont L’Abbé Junior Pro La Torche, at La Torche, Plomeur, Pays-Bigouden, Finistère - Bretagne / France, on June 13, 2021. Image credit: / WSL / Masurel

13 June 2021

Adur Amatriain (EUK) and Lucia Machado (CNY) have won the E.Leclerc Pont L’Abbé Junior Pro La Torche today, claiming victory in the Finals against Kai Odriozola (ESP) and Gabriela Dinis (PRT) respectively, held in clean two-to-three foot surf at La Torche.

Stop No. 1 of 5 on the 2021 World Surf League (WSL) European Junior Qualifying Series (JQS), the E.Leclerc Pont L’Abbé Junior Pro La Torche enjoyed a beautiful week of weather and waves, culminating today with the Finals.

“I can’t believe I’ve finally won one!” Amatriain said. “I’ve been training a lot recently and it looks like it’s paid off.I’ve never made it past the Quarters before but I trained a lot simulating heats in my free surfs and I think it helped.”

The young Basque surfer from Zarautz has been a rising star on the European junior scene since his first appearance five years ago and today proved the hype real with his victory over compatriot Odriozola.

“The season is long and there are a lot more events,” he added. “The level is high on the tour so I’m going to continue to work hard and do my best to have a strong season. I really enjoyed my week here, the weather was great and we had fun waves!”

In the Final, Amatriain clearly had the better start and at one point he even had his opponent on the ropes in a combination situation, needing two new scores. Odriozola didn’t back down and came back in the fight with an excellent 8.40 but ultimately time wasn’t on his side and the Spanish surfer had to settle for the runner-up spot.

Unknown to most, Kai Odriozola (ESP) and his younger brother Hans Odriozola (ESP) put on a show all week in La Torche and seemed destined for big things. Their path crossed in the Round of 16 where Kai eliminated Hans, and he never looked back as he dominated his Quarter and Semifinal. His Final berth today is a statement that he’s one to count on for the remainder of the season on the European JQS.

“It’s my first real serious event so I’m super happy to make the Final,” Odriozola stated. “With the COVID last year, and the year before that I was injured, so I’m only really starting now from scratch with no seeding. It’s good to surf more heats and get in a rhythm for sure. I really hope I can reach the Final again this season and I definitely want to win this time around!”

The women’s Final was another really close affair with multiple lead changes throughout the 30-minute bout. Lucia Machado (CNY) had the upper hand at first, but much like in the men’s, her opponent Gabriela Dinis (PRT) came back with a bang, an excellent 8.00 point ride on a long left. The Canarian kept charging through and eventually turned the heat again to claim her second junior-career win.

Runner-up in the European Junior title race twice in 2019 and 2020, Machado confirmed today she’s one of the strongest forces on the continent, as she takes the rankings lead in hopes of breaking that glass-ceiling.

“It was a hard Final and I really struggled,” Machado explained. “I did manage to win it in the end so I’m super happy with that result. Gabriella had a great wave and I really had to battle to get the lead again. I’m super happy to be in the lead early on but the season is long and I really hope I can keep it up until the end.”

Her opponent Gabriela Dinis (PRT) was only surfing her third event on the WSL junior tours and clearly the underdog going up against some of the toughest competition on her road to the Final. Her surfing was powerful and technical and she is now on everyone’s radar as another season gets underway in Europe.

“I’m super happy to have made the Final today,” Dinis said. “I had a great score but unfortunately couldn’t find a good enough backup, it was tough to find the right ones out there. I’m super happy to keep improving and I want to surf well and try to win on someday.”

With the completion of the E.Leclerc Pont L’Abbé Junior Pro La Torche, we have a first look at the 2021 European Junior rankings, here is the Top 5:

European Men’s JQS Top 5:

1 - Adur Amatriain (EUK)

2 - Kai Odriozola (ESP)

3 - Afonso Antunes (PRT)

3 - Mael Laborde (FRA)

5 - Sam Piter (FRA)

5 - Neil Aboufiras (MAR)

5 - Luan Nogues (FRA)

5 - Markel Vizcarguenaga (ESP)

European Women’s JQS Top 5:

1 - Lucia Machado (CNY)

2 - Gabriela Dinis (PRT)

3 - Juliette Lacome (FRA)

3 - Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (ESP)

5 - Lilou Rumiel (FRA)

5 - Aelan Vaast (FRA)

5 - Francisca Veselko (PRT)

5 - Nahia Milhau (FRA)

The next stop on the European Junior Qualifying Series will take surfers to Praia de Doniños, Ferrol in Galicia from July 23-25, 2021, for Junior Pro Ferrol (men's & women's).

For all photos, videos, news releases about the E.Leclerc Pont L’Abbé Junior Pro La Torche (men's & women's) visit worldsurfleague.com and the WSL app.

The E.Leclerc Pont L’Abbé Junior Pro La Torche is supported by E.Leclerc Pont L'Abbé - Région Bretagne - Département Finistère - Communauté de communes Pays Bigouden Sud - Marque bretagne, Finistère 360° - Bigoudenjoy - Team nautisme - Camping La Plage - Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne - DMD Ford Suzuki - Interface Concept - Sohoa Transition Digitale - Les Temps Gourmands - Crêperie Le Rayon Vert - La MArs,Pub Bigouden - Moken - XXIX- Twenty-Nine Surf Co. - Le Télégramme - Hit West - Ligue de Surf de Bretagne - Surf Session - ESB Surf Club among others.

E.LECLERC PONT L’ABBÉ JUNIOR PRO LA TORCHE MEN’S FINAL RESULTS:

1 - Adur Amatriain (EUK) 16.97

2 - Kai Odriozola (ESP) 14.67

E.LECLERC PONT L’ABBÉ JUNIOR PRO LA TORCHE WOMEN’S FINAL RESULTS:

1 - Lucia Machado (CNY) 12.70

2 - Gabriela Dinis (PRT) 12.50

E.LECLERC PONT L’ABBÉ JUNIOR PRO LA TORCHE MEN’S SEMIFINAL RESULTS:

SF 1: Kai Odriozola (ESP) 17.16 def. Afonso Antunes (PRT) 14.23

SF 2: Adur Amatriain (EUK) 15.20 def. Mail Laborde (FRA) 11.60

E.LECLERC PONT L’ABBÉ JUNIOR PRO LA TORCHE WOMEN’S SEMIFINAL RESULTS:

SF 1: Gabriela Dinis (PRT) 13.13 def. Janire Gonzalez Extabarri (EUK) 12.93

SF 2: Lucia Machado (CNY) 10.67 def. Juliette Lacome (FRA) 10.37

About the WSL

Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world's best surfing.

A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world's largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.

The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.

Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com.

WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.

The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.

Press Release Source: www.worldsurfleague.com