Surfing is set to make it’s Olympic debut in Japan 2020 which will feature 20 male and 20 female surfers respectively. The qualification process is the result of a previous agreement between the International Surfing Association (ISA) and the World Surf League (WSL). As the host country, Japan earns two spots straight off the bat, just as Bafana Bafana earned a place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The two spots, of the available 40, would consist of a competitor from each gender. The remaining 38 Olympic surfers will have to hash it out via four major events:
2019 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (March – December)
The ten highest ranked eligible surfers in the men’s 2019 WSL CT ranking will obtain a quota place;
The eight highest ranked eligible surfers in the women’s 2019 WSL CT ranking will obtain a quota place;
2019 ISA World Surfing Games (April – September)
The four top finishing male surfers from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania will obtain one quota place;
The four top finishing female surfers from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania will obtain one quota place;
2019 Pan American Games (July 26 – August 11)
The highest placed, and not yet qualified male surfers at the Pan American Games 2019 will obtain one quota place;
The highest placed, and not yet qualified female surfers at the Pan American Games 2019 will obtain one quota place;
2020 ISA World Surfing Games (April – May)
The four highest placed eligible male athletes, at the 2020 ISA World Surfing Games will obtain a quota place;
The six highest placed eligible female athletes, at the 2020 ISA World Surfing Games will obtain a quota place;
The maximum of surfers per gender, and per National Olympic Committee (NOC) is two. For example, the United States may only get four athletes in the competition set to take place at Tsurigasaki Beach. This number could increase to three per NOC in case not all quota places of the World Surf League can be attributed. The deadline for all the Tokyo 2020 sports entries is July 6, 2020.
WSL CEO, Sophie Goldschmidt, had the following to say:
“The Olympics offers an incredible platform for any sport and surfing stands to benefit from this massive opportunity in 2020 and, hopefully, beyond. It is essential for surfing to showcase its best possible surfing through this opportunity and that requires the world’s best surfers from the Championship Tour to participate. It’s great that the ISA and WSL, in conversation with the athletes, could come to an agreement on the qualification process for 2020. We look forward to enhancing the partnership as we get closer to this fantastic opportunity.”
