Arabic version: بيكلوم تستعيد صدارة دوري ركوب الأمواج العالمي

According to ABC News, Australian surfer Molly Picklum has returned to the top of the World Surf League standings after winning the Rip Curl Pro Portugal at Supertubos. The 23-year-old defeated American and former world champion Caitlin Simmers in Friday’s final, collecting the maximum 10,000 points.

Picklum now leads the post-season standings with 48,950 points, ahead of Hawaiian Carissa Moore on 47,065. Another Hawaiian, Gabriela Bryan, is third with 44,865 points. Two events remain: the Philippines Pro and Pipeline.

In the final, Picklum built control early with a 5.50 on her opening wave and a 7.83 on her third ride. Simmers, who had won six of their previous eight head-to-head contests, posted a best wave score of 6.67 on the ninth of her 11 rides. Picklum won with a combined two-wave score of 13.33, compared with Simmers’s 12.84.

After the victory, Picklum celebrated with a jet-ski ride before jumping into the water. She said Supertubos had been a dream venue for her, describing it as combining the energy of Brazil with Hawaii’s Pipeline. Picklum also thanked her friends and family at home, saying she knew they had stayed up to watch her first win of the season.