JEFFREYS BAY, Eastern Cape, South Africa (Wednesday, July 19, 2023) - Filipe Toledo (BRA) has provisionally qualified through the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) for the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Toledo's win today at the Corona Open J-Bay solidified his spot as the top-ranked Brazilian surfer, earning him a provisional qualification to represent Brazil in his Olympic debut. The 28-year-old is currently ranked No. 1 in the world.
"I feel like now this is the top of the top that we can reach for in our sport," said Toledo. "Winning a World Title there's no words for that, but to compete as an Olympian is just extra special. I'll do my best to go there and represent my country, my family and win another medal for Brazil."
Toledo is a second-generation surfer, having been taught by his father, and long-time coach, Ricardo. In 2014 Toledo's entire family moved from Brazil to San Clemente, California after becoming the WSL Qualifying Series (QS) Champion. The following year, Toledo earned a place on the CT and took the 2015 season by storm, winning three CT events. Having to overcome injury, Toledo returned to peak form in 2018 winning both the Corona Open J-Bay Open and the Oi Rio Pro to finish the season ranked No. 3.
Toledo continued to build on his outstanding performance with another two event wins in 2021, earning a place in the inaugural Rip Curl WSL Finals where he finished runner-up to fellow Brazilian Gabriel Medina. Toledo would get another shot at a World Title the following year, beating Italo Ferreira (BRA) to win the 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals. Now defending his World Title, Toledo entered the 2023 season in great form. He won the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, Surf City El Salvador Pro, and now the Corona Open J-Bay. Now, he has his sights set on claiming his second World Title at the Rip Curl WSL Finals in San Clemente, California.
Surfing will return to the Olympic Games after making its 2020 Olympic debut in Tokyo. The 2024 Olympics will be held on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti at Teahupo'o, the iconic wave known for massive barrels, heavy drops, and a shallow reef. This will be familiar to the WSL surfers as it is the featured stop on the WSL CT and the next stop on the 2023 CT season.
The WSL CT, the highest level of competitive surfing that crowns the World Champions, is surfing's tier-one qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games. WSL will provisionally qualify the first ten men and eight women for Paris 2024. Learn more about Surfing's Olympic Qualification process.
Watch Toledo compete at the upcoming Shiseido Tahiti Pro from August 11 - 20, 2023. Once called on, the competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL's YouTube channel, and the free WSL app. Check out more ways to watch from the WSL's broadcast partners.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.