Filipino Bermudez barely misses wakeboard finale

Top national female rider Samantha Bermudez finished fourth in her semifinal group and barely missed the final round of the 34th stop of the 2012 Waterski & Wakeboard World Cup Series recently at Rainbow Bridge Wake Park, Odaiba Beach in Japan.

Bermudez finished behind World champion Kirsteen Mitchell of Germany, Australian Angelika Schriber and British national champion Steph Caller in the Semifinals 1 of the Open Ladies Wakeboard.

Schriber eventually won the title.

Despite missing the chance to make the finale, it was still an impressive finish for the 26-year-old Bermudez, a bronze medalist in the Southeast Asian Games last year in Indonesia.

A total of 16 riders battled for the six spots in two different semifinal group. The top three riders from each group advanced to the finals.

Among those Bermudez overtook en route to the semifinals were past champions Robbie Rendo of Argentina and Lauren Ormsby of Australia.

Teammate Carlo de la Torre also gave it his all but failed to make it out of the first round.