Heel injury forces Kelly Slater to withdraw from Billabong Rio Pro – Surfing News
American professional surfer and current Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour contender Kelly Slater has pulled out of Billabong Rio Pro due to a heel injury.
The 40-year-old 11-time ASP World Champion had sustained a heel injury during his trip to Java. The injury reappeared at Cloudbreak, forcing him to announce his withdrawal from the third stop of the ASP World Tour.
“I injured the inside of my left heel in Java and then re-opened it again the following week at Cloudbreak,” Slater said. “It became infected and I flew to Australia to get it treated and stitched in hopes of making it to Rio, if not for Round 1, at least for Round 2. I’ve been in the water since getting it stitched and while I can go straight, I can’t do turns at all right now so I’ll have to pull out of Rio.”
The Florida-based surfer conceded that he was pretty disappointed about missing the Brazilian stop of the elite tour, but the healing of his heal was currently his first priority.
With Slater withdrawing from Billabong Rio Pro, Brazil’s Willian Cardoso will be replacing him in the draws. It is a wonderful opportunity for the young local talent to prove his mettle and gain some valuable experience while surfing against the surfing heavy-weights.
The absence of Slater will be strongly felt during the latest stop of the ASP World Title Series. The American surfer not only enjoys a legendary status, but also enjoys a huge fan following around the globe. They will surely be disappointed to miss out on a chance to catch the greatest surfer in action at the high-performance waves of Barra da Tijuca.
Slater is currently pursuing his 12th ASP World Title, though it is not yet sure whether he will be surfing the complete season. He is currently sitting on the top spot in the 2012 ASP World Title Rankings. He made it into the Quarter-finals at Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and later backed it up with a runner-up finish at Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach where he barely conceded the title to Australia’s Mick Fanning.
The third stop of the 2012 ASP World Tour is currently running at Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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