Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Thursday 4 april 2019

In this May 12, 2012, file photo, Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore
competes in the Association of Surfing Professionals, ASP,
Billabong Rio Pro women’s surfing competition at Barra da Tijuca
beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Associated Press
Surf is up: Season

opens for Olympics In this Sunday, March 24, 2019, file photo, Calgary Inferno’s Brigette Lacquette, left, battles for
the puck with Les Canadiennes de Montreal’s Lauriane Rougeau during the second-period
action of the Clarkson Cup hockey game in Toronto, Ontario.
qualifying, equal pay Associated Press

GOLD COAST, Australia seemed like such a mile- U.S.-based NWHL OKs plan to
(AP) — Qualifying for the stone year and it made expand to Canada after CWHL folds
inaugural Olympic surf- me fall back in love with
ing competition began being the world champion
Wednesday with a World and reminding me why I do By JOHN WAWROW Rylan said by phone. “The void,” Daly wrote. “But
Surf League event which this.” AP Hockey Writer focus of ours was to figure that’s not the case cur-
also featured equal prize Becoming an Olympian The National Women’s out a solution for Canada rently.” The CWHL oper-
money for male and fe- would be an added bonus. Hockey League is moving first, and we’re fortunate ated liked Major League
male board riders. “I always loved the idea of swiftly to expand to Toron- we were able to do that Soccer by owning each
Poor surf conditions at the going to the Olympics (but) to and Montreal following pretty quickly here.” of its teams, except for the
regular Snapper Rocks never thought I’d get the the demise of its Canadi- Rylan said the expansion one based in Shenzhen,
venue on the Gold Coast chance,” she said. an-based rival. decision and NHL’s in- China. Starting in 2017-18,
meant officials moved the In men’s first-round heats NWHL Commissioner Dani creased backing weren’t it began paying player sal-
first day of competition Wednesday, Wilson and Rylan told The Associ- exactly connected. She aries ranging from $2,000
around the point to nearby Slater finished last in their ated Press on Tuesday instead views the NHL’s in- to $10,000 out of a total
Duranbah. respective three-man the league’s board had creased financial support budget of $3.7 million. The
Seven-time world champi- heats, forcing both into approved an investment as “an endorsement of our NWHL has relied on private
on Stephanie Gilmore leads elimination heats in the plan to establish teams business and the brands investors and was the first
the women’s field while de- second round. Medina in Canada’s two largest that we’re growing.” to pay players a salary.
fending Gold Coast cham- advanced directly to the cities for the start of next Rylan did not reveal how The shifting fortunes for
pion and fellow Australian third round with a win in season. Rylan also said much additional money pro women’s hockey in its
Julian Wilson features in a his opening heat, and pro- her league has received a the NWHL will receive hotbed of North America
strong men’s field that in- ducing the highest-scoring commitment from the NHL above the NHL’s $50,000 has come with most of the
cluded American great wave of the day. Under that will make it one of the previous annual commit- world’s top players in Fin-
and 11-time world champi- the new men’s format, first- NWHLs biggest financial ment. The NHL also con- land for the world cham-
on Kelly Slater and reigning and second-place finishers sponsors. The decision tributed $50,000 to support pionships, which open on
series champion Gabriel in the opening heats go by the U.S.-based NWHL the CWHL. Thursday. Many players
Medina. directly to the third round. to cross the border and NHL deputy commission- tweeted their disappoint-
For surfers like Gilmore, who Third place goes into a expand from five teams er Bill Daly confirmed the ment on Sunday and Can-
can earn a spot at the To- second round, where the to seven comes just two league has increased its ada’s national team is-
kyo Olympics by finishing in last surfer in each heat is days after the Canadian financial support. Daly, sued a statement Tuesday.
the top eight at the end of eliminated. From the third- Women’s Hockey League however, cautioned the “We are disappointed
the WSL season, 2019 pres- round onward, it’s single abruptly announced it will additional support doesn’t and shocked to learn of
ents some unique oppor- elimination head-to-head cease operations by May change the NHL’s position the CWHL’s plan to shut
tunities for pay parity and competition. 1 due to financial issues. in fully backing a women’s down league operations,”
Olympic inclusion. Slater, coming off an injury- The CWHL had four teams pro sports league. the team said. “There are
“I’ve never been driven shortened 2018 because of in Canada, one in subur- Daly referred to what he many unanswered ques-
by money to win, but I’ve a broken right foot, said he ban Boston and a sixth in wrote on Sunday in re- tions about the future, but
come to understand the doesn’t feel a 12th world China, and its decision af- sponse to the CWHL’s col- we will continue to create
sport has a real power title is out of the question ter 12 seasons was seen as lapse. “We recognize the dialogue with our team-
to speak to people on a for him. a major blow to the sport. importance of women mates, fellow players and
whole other level,” Gilmore “I was really burned out “The news definitely came having options to play the leagues. Our priority as
said ahead of the season- when I got injured last year, as a shock to us on Sunday game at the professional players is to move forward
opening event at her local so it was sort of a good time morning, but it was obvi- level. If those options were and advance the game
break. “To set standards to recharge,” Slater said. ous that we needed to do to become unavailable at all levels, and to ensure
and send messages in so- “I know where the level’s what we could to provide in the future, we would female hockey players
ciety that not many other at ... I don’t think that it’s for those players to have certainly consider doing have a viable league for
industries have ... it just unattainable.”q a place to play this fall,” what’s necessary to fill that the future.” q