Injury keeps Yadin Nicol out of 2011 ASP World Tour despite qualification
Despite qualifying for the 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour mid-year rotation, Australia’s Yadin Nicol will not be joining the pursuit for the biggest honour in the sport, ASP World Title, due to a broken right fibula that he sustained
in Japan over a week ago.
The injury has put him out of action for the remainder of the year, depriving the 25-year-old Australian of the biggest break of his career. With him out of action, his spot in the current ASP World Tour has been taken up by Hawaii’s John John Florence,
who currently ranks No.33 on the ASP World Rankings.
For the last three years, Nicol had been barely missing out on a place in the elite, though he got really close to making the cut in 2008. However, a series of impressive performances in the ASP Prime and Star events this year had allowed him to get to the
No. 26 spot on the ASP World Rankings and earn a place among the world’s best surfers. Unfortunately, the injury sustained during his surf trip to Japan kept him from become ecstatic about the news.
While the broken right fibula would definitely take a while to heal, Nicol is not completely losing hope of at least getting a taste of the World Tour experience this year and hopes to be back on the surfing board before the final stop of the 2011 ASP World
Tour, Billabong Pipe Masters.
Sharing his optimism with a reporter from leading sports network, ESPN, the Australian said, “Luckily there's a light at the end of the tunnel It could have been worse, I could have broken my leg and
not qualified. I am in California until my leg heals up and I'm going to do everything I can to get it strong with my trainer Andy Shmiess. Hopefully it won't take that long.”
“I really want to surf at Pipe and that's 12 weeks away, so if I can get back by then I'd be stoked, if not then hopefully I'll get the injury wildcard and be able to put a singlet on at Snapper,” he added.
Nicol’s form has been nothing short of sensational this season. It surely would have been exciting to watch how he performed at the greatest stage in surfing. Hopefully we will not have to wait another year to catch him take on the likes of America’s Kelly
Slater and South Africa’s Jordy Smith for the World Title.
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