Surfing will make its debut in the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, Japan.
The shortboard competition will take place at Tsurigasaki Beach, in Chiba, from 25 July to 1 August 2021.
Twenty male surfers and twenty female athletes from 17 countries will compete in the quest for gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Surfing's qualification system for Tokyo 2020 is complex and involves two entities - the International Surfing Association (ISA) and the World Surf League (WSL).
The world governing body and the professional world tour have decided to split the spots available for Tokyo 2020.
The host country, Japan, has automatically secured one slot for a male athlete and another one for a female surfer.
Then, four events determined the competitors that will participate in surfing's first Olympic appearance. They are as follows:
- 2019 Pan American Games (concluded) - 1 male surfer and 1 female surfer;
- 2019 ISA World Surfing Games (concluded) - 4 male surfers and 4 female surfers;
- 2019 World Surf League (concluded) - 10 male surfers and 8 female surfers;
- 2021 ISA World Surfing Games (concluded) - 4 male surfers and 6 female surfers;
Each nation can only qualify for a maximum of two athletes per gender.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games | Qualified Surfers
Men
Leandro Usuna (ARG) | 2019 Pan American Games
Rio Waida (INA) | 2019 ISA World Surfing Games
Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) | 2019 ISA World Surfing Games
Billy Stairmand (NZL) | 2019 ISA World Surfing Games
Frederico Morais (POR) | 2019 ISA World Surfing Games
Italo Ferreira (BRA) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Gabriel Medina (BRA) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Kolohe Andino (USA) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
John John Florence (USA) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Owen Wright (AUS) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Jeremy Flores (FRA) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Julian Wilson (AUS) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Michel Bourez (FRA) | Top 10 Male Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Leon Glatzer (GER) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Miguel Tudela (PER) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Lucca Mesinas (PER) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Manuel Selman (CHI) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Women
Dominic Barona (ECU) | 2019 Pan American Games
Bianca Buitendag (RSA) | 2019 ISA World Surfing Games
Sofia Mulanovich (PER) | 2019 ISA World Surfing Games
Ella Williams (NZL) | 2019 ISA World Surfing Games
Anat Lelior (ISR) | 2019 ISA World Surfing Games
Carissa Moore (USA) | Top 8 Female Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Caroline Marks (USA) | Top 8 Female Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) | Top 8 Female Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) | Top 8 Female Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) | Top 8 Female Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Silvana Lima (BRA) | Top 8 Female Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Johanne Defay (FRA) | Top 8 Female Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Brisa Hennessy (CRI) | Top 8 Female Surfer at 2019 WSL CT
Yolanda Sequeira (POR) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Teresa Bonvalot (POR) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Daniella Rosas (PER) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Leilani McGonagle (CRC) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Mahina Maeda (JPN) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
Pauline Ado (FRA) | 2021 ISA World Surfing Games
The above surfers have secured provisional spots in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
As a result, the official list of surfers participating in the historic competition was only fully revealed in June 2021, after the reallocation of unused quotas.
Where to Watch Olympic Surfing?
United States: NBC
Europe: Eurosport
Australia: 7+
Brazil: Globo
Latin America: Claro
Japan: NHK