The Tahiti team continued to shine on Oahu’s North Shore at the HTA Haleʻiwa Pro. This Friday afternoon, Kiara Goold and Miliani Simon punched their tickets to the semifinals.
The former edged out her teammates Takihei Ellacott and Raipoe Chapelier, winning her quarterfinal heat ahead of Hawaii’s Vaihitimahana Inso. Goold seized the lead early with a 7.33-point ride, then added a solid second score of 7.23. With a total of 14.56 points, she finished on top.
“I’m super happy with my first heat win. I really like the size of the waves, I hope they get a bit bigger for the semifinals,” she remarked to the WSL microphone.
Miliani Simon Confirms
Another success for the Tahitian contingent came from Miliani Simon, who also won her heat. Facing Hawaii’s Zoey McDougall, Moana Jones Wong, and Brenice Alama, she emerged with a total of 9.77 points in a heat where scores remained relatively low. Zoey McDougall also qualified, with 8.67 points.
The two Tahitian athletes will now face strong opponents in the semifinals. Kiara Goold will take on Vaihitimahana Inso, Tatiana Weston-Webb, and Zoie Ziets. Meanwhile, Miliani Simon will go up against Alyssa Spencer, Eweleiula Wong, and Zoey McDougall again.
In the men’s division, the Tahitian run has gradually narrowed. After the eliminations of Tikanui Smith and Peio Charriaud, Teiva Tetahio remains the fenua’s last representative still in the race.
He will need to defeat Joshua Moniz, Makana Pang, and Kane Turalde to secure his ticket to the quarterfinals.