Courtney Conlogue (USA) today claimed the inaugural Swatch Girls Pro Junior title in a closely fought 35-minute final at Les Bourdaines as she maintained her status as the inform surfer of the entire Swatch Girls Pro Junior. Today also saw The Swatch Girls Pro run through to complete round 4 with excellent surfing witnessed in the stormy conditions setting up a great finals day tomorrow with the crowning of the Swatch Girls Pro Champion.

Overnight gale force winds whipped up the swell generating peaky 4-5ft waves at the main site at Les Bourdaines. During the entire day conditions remained contestable with many displays of physical fitness as the surfers entered the water various times during the day of competition.

Courtney Conlogue (USA) had surfed brilliantly the entire week and had just one more hurdle to overcome before claiming the Swatch Girls Pro Junior title and the young 17-year-old did not let herself down by remaining focused in the very physical conditions which pounded the main site late in the afternoon.

“There was definitely a lot of duck diving and running back up to the peak in that final for sure and anyone who got out there and managed to be in the right spot deserved the waves they caught.”

Conlogue and her fellow finalist Coco Ho (HAW), Laura Enever (AUS) and Nage Melamed (HAW) are all good friends and have made big impressions also in the main event here this week making it through to the final day of competition tomorrow.

“It hasn't really hit me yet this win here because of all the work we had to do today so I am really tired but I'm super stoked to be out there with Laura and Coco and Nage. It was great and to be a part of that group in the final because they are such good surfers was really special”

The victory was sealed with a 7.50 out of a possible 10 surfing on her backhand performing a series of critical turns from start to finish.

“When I saw that wave I just thought I have to go and see how it goes because in these conditions you never know if the wave is going to be good or bad so you have to go and just experiment and hope it comes out right. That particular wave stood up right and it went all the way through and I got a great score.”

“I felt very confident out there,” continued Conlogue. “I wasn't just out there sitting in the middle I actually managed to position myself and get the waves I needed and to win the final in the end.”

RESULTS SWATCH GIRLS PRO JUNIOR
Courtney Conlogue (USA) 11.30, Coco Ho (HAW) 10.60, Nage Melamed (HAW) 9.00, Laura Enever (AUS) 7.50

UPCOMING ROUND 5 MATCH-UPS SWATCH GIRLS PRO
Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Felicity Palmateer (AUS)
Heat 2: Laura Enever (AUS), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Heat 3: Coco Ho (HAW), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Tarryn Chudleigh (ZAF)
Heat 4: Claire Bevilacqua (AUS), Sarah Baum (ZAF), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)

RESULTS ROUND 4 SWATCH GIRLS PRO
Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) 14.05, Laura Enever (AUS) 13.50, Nage Melamed (HAW) 9.90, Cannelle Bulard (REU) 9.35
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.10, Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 12.25, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 9.85, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 9.85
Heat 3: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.50, Felicity Palmateer (AUS), 9.00, Justine Dupont (FRA) 7.50, Nicola Atherton (AUS) 6.80
Heat 4: Coco Ho (HAW) 17.90, Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 10.05, Paige Hareb (NZL) 7.40, Nikita Robb (ZAF) 5.85
Heat 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.20, Sarah Baum (ZAF) 9.00, Bethany Hamilton (HAW) 8.65, Sage Erickson (USA) 3.85
Heat 6: Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 12.25, Tarryn Chudleigh (ZAF) 8.70, Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 8.00, Jessica Santorik (NZL) 4.35

SOURCE: ASP Europe