Skinner wins silver at world surfing championships

Ben Powis said Skinner had put English surfing on the map

Cornish surfer Lukas Skinner has won silver in the World Junior Surfing Championships.

The surfer from Perranporth won every heat on his way to the under 16's final at Macumba Beach, Rio do Janeiro.

In the final, Skinner, 15, was less than half a point away from winner, Spaniard Hans Odriozola.

The silver medal caps a year in which he won two other major surfing contests, the World Grom Search Finals in Australia and the European Grom Search Final in Morocco.

Skinner won every heat on his way to the final which he narrowly lost

Skinner, who broke his left foot in August, keeping him out of the water until three weeks before the championships, said he had "mixed emotions" about the result.

"I'm over the moon, but also pretty gutted that I didn't get gold," he told BBC News.

The result was decided as Odriozola snatched a wave in the last 50 seconds of the final, leaving Skinner with no time to respond.

The young surfer, who got a standing ovation from other teams with his result, now has his sights on the Olympics in 2028 and beyond.

Ben Powis, chief executive of Surfing England, the sport’s national governing body, said: "Lukas has absolutely shone through these championships and shown he fully belongs on surfing’s world stage.

"We’re so proud of his performance and that of the team who’ve shown amazing spirit and support for each other through every heat.

"Lukas has truly put English surfing on the map and done so in the best way with his progressive style in the water, and being a thoroughly likeable and supportive member of the team out the water."