Rita and Bruna Reach the Final

Event now running on Saturday – click here for the final action!

Friday 22nd November 2019
Location: Cumbuco, Brazil
Words: Jim Gaunt
Photos: Svetlana Romantsova
Video: Laci Kobulsky

Unfortunately light wind conditions prevailed for most of Friday afternoon, so only one full heat was completed on Friday and it was the first women’s semi final as the second semi-final was cancelled just over halfway through it due to unsuitable wind conditions.

SEMI-FINAL 01
THERESE TAABBEL (DEN) / RITA ARNAUS (ESP) / PAULS NOVOTNA (CZ) / BRUNA KAJIYA (BRA)

Finishing on top was Spaniard Rita Arnaus who is finishing the second half of her 2019 season is fine style. She claimed her best result as runner-up in Mauritius and is looking to perhaps go one better than that here and in winning this semi-final she landed all seven of her tricks very well, the second heat in a row she achieved a ‘dry hair’ performance. 

Here’s how the heat played out on the liveticker: 

Kickers looking good and riders making the most of them in this heat.

Rita looking best early on and appears mechanical in her execution, particularly of the hinterberger 3, but she was trading top spot with Paula throughout first half of the heat. Bruna had two crashes to start.

Bruna got off the mark on trick three with a beautiful backside 313. Big score, she’s back in the game with that 6.7 scoring trick.

Again big S1 from Bruna, very fluid throughout and no change in speed or jerkiness. Graceful and stylish. She was up to second with just two good trick scores from four.

Rita was pulling away at the front through and, like her quarter final, still had her hair dry! Three six point scores doing the business well for her.

Therese had problems with the chop throughout but she did land a nice S-bend to blind on her sixth trick for 6.2 and then she landed a good slim for 7.0! She was suddenly in with a shout.

Really superb riding from Rita throughout –  effortlessly clean, clinical and super stylish. So improved this season, a serious contender now at any event. Her slim chance was sublime and she completed her second heat in a row by landing all seven trick attempts very well indeed with an S3! 8.47 points. (Need help with the maths? That’s 14 tricks stomped in a row in world championship competition).

Bruna needed just a 1.88 score to take second – she had to land something, if she crashed she’d be out, and she opted for a nice front side 3 off a kicker! Slick. With a grab by the way… 4 points and into the final.

RESULT:
Arnaus: 28.74
Kajiya: 25.1
Taabbel: 22.97
Novotna: 22.59

SECOND SEMI-FINAL

Semi final 02 will be re-started tomorrow after race director Olaf van Tol decided that most of the four tricks that were completed were done so in poor conditions. 

Here are the riders competing in that for the last two places in the final: 

SF02: CLAUDIA LEON (ESP) / ESTEFANIA ROSA (BRA) / PIPPA VEN IERSEL (NED) / MIKAILI SOL (BRA)

Stay tuned to the live page on Saturday. First possible start on Saturday is at 09.00 (GMT -3)