スレーター「これで終わりの感じする」 ５２歳のレジェンドサーファー

【パースＡＦＰ＝時事】ワールドサーフリーグ（ＷＳＬ）男子で１１度の世界王者に輝いたケリー・スレーター（米国）が、１６日に豪マーガレットリバーで行われた大会で敗退し、ＷＳＬのチャンピオンシップツアー（ＣＴ）出場権を失った後、「これで終わりの感じがする」と発言した。（写真は、ワールドサーフリーグの男子チャンピオンシップツアー第５戦のマーガレットリバー・プロで、波に乗るケリー・スレーター）
　５２歳のレジェンドサーファーのスレーターは、インタビューで涙をこらえながら「これで終わりの感じがするが、別の何かの始まりであり、残りの人生の始まりだ」と話した。
　今後フィジーで行われる大会のワイルドカード（主催者推薦）も申請したと明かし、引退するとは断言しなかったが、過去にも現役生活終了を示唆する発言を何度か残しており、すでに今夏のパリ五輪出場も逃している。
　この日の競技後は感極まった様子で、肩車をされてビーチから引き上げる際には、ファンや仲間の選手たちから拍手が起こった。
　３度の世界王者で、自身は２０１８年に引退したミック・ファニング氏はインスタグラムで、スレーターの「信じられないようなキャリア」をたたえ、「すべての記憶とバトルをありがとう」とねぎらいのコメントを送った。
　スレーターは１９９０年にデビューすると、その２年後に当時２０歳で初の世界タイトルを獲得した。最後に世界一に輝いたのは２０１１年で、世界王者の最年少記録と最年長記録の両方を保持し、史上最高のプロサーファーとしての呼び声が高い。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/04/16-17:43）

Kelly Slater, widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time, said Tuesday this feels like the end after being knocked out of a competition in Australia and losing his place on the world tour.
The 52-year-old American, an 11-time world champion, was already out of contention for a spot at the Paris Olympics this summer.
This feels like the end, he said, fighting back tears, following elimination from a World Surf League event at Margaret River, near Perth.
Slater did not definitively say he was retiring and has hinted several times before that his professional surfing career was over.
He also said on Tuesday that he had asked for a wildcard for an upcoming event in Fiji.
But he was visibly emotional and was carried off the beach in a show of respect, and applauded by fans and fellow competitors.
Everything comes to an end, said Slater, who has been compared to basketball's Michael Jordan in how his fame transcended his sport.
If you don't adapt, you don't survive.
My motivation just hasn't quite been there to really put in that 100 percent that everyone is doing now.
Australian three-time world champion Mick Fanning, who quit the sport in 2018, congratulated Slater on an incredible career.
What you did for the sport of surfing is unrivalled. Pushing the limits of what is possible, Fanning wrote on Instagram.
The dedication to your craft inspired everyone to become better.
Thank you for all the memories and battles.
Known for his prowess and style, the ultra-competitive Slater arrived on the surfing scene in 1990, capturing his first world title two years later aged 20 and his last in 2011.
He is both the youngest and oldest world champion.
Slater has also appeared in dozens of surfing films, starred in the hit 1990s TV show Baywatch and has featured in video games.
It's been an incredible lifetime of memories, said Slater, who has a baby on the way with his partner Kalani Miller and said now was the start of something else, the start of the rest of my life.
It's so much emotion for so long. It's not all roses, but it's been the best times of my life, said the American.
I couldn't quite pull a miracle off this week. I've pulled off a few over the years.