Courtney Conlogue is a serious competitor. No one has ever thought differently, but she was on a different level at Bells. This win is a repeat victory, but it didn’t come easy. “I’m so happy to get another bell,” she said. “It’s just surreal right now.”
Along the way, she had to take out three world champions: Tyler Wright, Carissa Moore, and Stephanie Gilmore. One of those wins stands out. In the semis, she found herself in a dire situation against Tyler Wright. Early on in the heat, Wright took a commanding lead, and to anyone watching, the winner seemed preordained. Conlogue, though, never gave up and ended up with an exciting come-from-behind finish.
Then, in the finals, she came up against six-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore. Midway through the heat, Gilmore held the lead, and it looked as though Conlogue’s uphill battle in her previous heats might not amount to a win. As usual, though, she dug deep and pulled out a series of maneuvers that would land her on top of the podium. Her win puts her in fourth place in the rankings, and if she’s able to keep building the momentum she’s gained, Conlogue has a very real chance at hoisting a world title.
