The Olympic Opening Ceremonies are set to begin on Friday July 23, 2021. 40 surfers (20 men and 20 women) from countries all over the world will be competing for the first time on sports' biggest stage for a coveted gold medal.
The Olympic qualification process back began in 2019 and didn't conclude until just a couple months ago. Countries are only allowed to bring two men and two women to compete. Of the 40 available spots, 18 surfers from the 2019 Championship Tour made the cut based on their year-end rankings. There are eight surfers that qualified via the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games, 12 from the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games, and 2 from the 2019 Pan American Games.
Here's who you'll see waving the flag for their respective countries (in alphabetical order) when the Games begin:
Italy's Leonardo Fioravanti. - Sean Evans / ISA
Argentina
Leandro Usuna: #15 WSL South American Qualifying Series
Australia
Julian Wilson: #17 WSL Championship Tour
Owen Wright: #20 WSL Championship Tour
Sally Fitzgibbons: #3 WSL Championship Tour
Stephanie Gilmore: #5 WSL Championship Tour
Brazil
Gabriel Medina: #1 WSL Championship Tour
Italo Ferreira: #2 WSL Championship Tour
Tatiana Weston-Webb: #4 WSL Championship Tour
Silvana Lima: #2 WSL South American Qualifying Series
Gabriel Medina loosening up before the start of competition on a small-wave Lost Round Nose Fish. - Sean Evans / ISA
Chile
Manuel Selman: #85 WSL South American Qualifying Series
Costa Rica
Brisa Hennessy: #15 WSL Championship Tour
Leilani McGonagle: #7 WSL North American Qualifying Series
Costa Rica's Brisa Hennessy Leilani McGonagle share a smile during warmups at the Olympic surfing venue. - Sean Evans / ISA
Ecuador
Dominic Barona: #5 WSL South American Qualifying Series
France
Jeremy Flores: #25 WSL Championship Tour
Michel Bourez: #29 WSL Championship Tour
Johanne Defay: #2 WSL Championship Tour
Pauline Ado: #2 WSL European Qualifying Series
Germany
Leon Glatzer: #32 WSL European Qualifying Series
Indonesia
Rio Waida: #2 WSL Asia Qualifying Series
Israel
Anat Lelior: #14 WSL European Qualifying Series
Anat Leilor, the lone surfer for Israel. - Sean Evans / ISA
Italy
Leonardo Fioravanti: #17 WSL Championship Tour
Japan
Kanoa Igarashi: #6 WSL Championship Tour
Hiroto Ohhara: #5 WSL Asia Qualifying Series
Mahina Maeda: #2 WSL Asia Qualifying Series
Amuro Tsuzuki: #5 WSL Asia Qualifying Series
Hometown hero Hiroto Ohhara hopes to give the Japanese Olympic fans much to cheer about when competition is called on. - Sean Evans / ISA
Morocco
Ramzi Boukhiam: #4 WSL European Qualifying Series
New Zealand
Billy Stairmand: #12 WSL Australia/ Oceania Qualifying Series
Ella Williams: #47 WSL Australia/ Oceania Qualifying Series
Peru
Miguel Tudela: #26 WSL North American Qualifying Series
Lucca Mesinas: #3 WSL North American Qualifying Series
Daniella Rosas: #1 WSL South American Qualifying Series
Sofía Mulánovich: 2004 World Champion
Portugal
Frederico Morais: #11 WSL Championship Tour
Yolanda Sequeira: #10 WSL European Qualifying Series
Teresa Bonvalot: #7 WSL European Qualifying Series
South Africa
Bianca Buitendag: #4 2015 WSL Championship Tour
United States
John John Florence: #10 WSL Championship Tour
Kolohe Andino: #38 WSL Championship Tour
Carissa Moore: #1 WSL Championship Tour
Caroline Marks: #6 WSL Championship Tour
United States' Kolohe Andino is back from injury and has been looking especially sharp during warmups. - Ben Reed / ISA
These Are The Surfers Competing In The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Cayla Moore
The Olympic Opening Ceremonies are set to begin on Friday July 23, 2021. 40 surfers (20 men and 20 women) from countries all over the world will be competing for the first time on sports' biggest stage for a coveted gold medal.
The Olympic qualification process back began in 2019 and didn't conclude until just a couple months ago. Countries are only allowed to bring two men and two women to compete. Of the 40 available spots, 18 surfers from the 2019 Championship Tour made the cut based on their year-end rankings. There are eight surfers that qualified via the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games, 12 from the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games, and 2 from the 2019 Pan American Games.
Here's who you'll see waving the flag for their respective countries (in alphabetical order) when the Games begin:
Argentina
Leandro Usuna: #15 WSL South American Qualifying Series
Australia
Julian Wilson: #17 WSL Championship Tour
Owen Wright: #20 WSL Championship Tour
Sally Fitzgibbons: #3 WSL Championship Tour
Stephanie Gilmore: #5 WSL Championship Tour
Brazil
Gabriel Medina: #1 WSL Championship Tour
Italo Ferreira: #2 WSL Championship Tour
Tatiana Weston-Webb: #4 WSL Championship Tour
Silvana Lima: #2 WSL South American Qualifying Series
Chile
Manuel Selman: #85 WSL South American Qualifying Series
Costa Rica
Brisa Hennessy: #15 WSL Championship Tour
Leilani McGonagle: #7 WSL North American Qualifying Series
Ecuador
Dominic Barona: #5 WSL South American Qualifying Series
France
Jeremy Flores: #25 WSL Championship Tour
Michel Bourez: #29 WSL Championship Tour
Johanne Defay: #2 WSL Championship Tour
Pauline Ado: #2 WSL European Qualifying Series
Germany
Leon Glatzer: #32 WSL European Qualifying Series
Indonesia
Rio Waida: #2 WSL Asia Qualifying Series
Israel
Anat Lelior: #14 WSL European Qualifying Series
Italy
Leonardo Fioravanti: #17 WSL Championship Tour
Japan
Kanoa Igarashi: #6 WSL Championship Tour
Hiroto Ohhara: #5 WSL Asia Qualifying Series
Mahina Maeda: #2 WSL Asia Qualifying Series
Amuro Tsuzuki: #5 WSL Asia Qualifying Series
Morocco
Ramzi Boukhiam: #4 WSL European Qualifying Series
New Zealand
Billy Stairmand: #12 WSL Australia/ Oceania Qualifying Series
Ella Williams: #47 WSL Australia/ Oceania Qualifying Series
Peru
Miguel Tudela: #26 WSL North American Qualifying Series
Lucca Mesinas: #3 WSL North American Qualifying Series
Daniella Rosas: #1 WSL South American Qualifying Series
Sofía Mulánovich: 2004 World Champion
Portugal
Frederico Morais: #11 WSL Championship Tour
Yolanda Sequeira: #10 WSL European Qualifying Series
Teresa Bonvalot: #7 WSL European Qualifying Series
South Africa
Bianca Buitendag: #4 2015 WSL Championship Tour
United States
John John Florence: #10 WSL Championship Tour
Kolohe Andino: #38 WSL Championship Tour
Carissa Moore: #1 WSL Championship Tour
Caroline Marks: #6 WSL Championship Tour
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