So, Who Qualified for Paris 2024? (So Far…)

After seven days of competition, featuring athletes from 63 countries – from Australia to Afghanistan and everywhere in between – the 2023 International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games has wrapped up in El Salvador.

Alan Cleveland Jr. (Mexico) and Tatiana Weston-Webb (Brazil) took home the top honors, individually, and Team Peru won the contest as a whole. And along the way, since this event is part of Olympic qualification hierarchy, eight surfers received provisional qualification status for the 2024 Paris Olympics, to be held at Teahupo’o, Tahiti.

So, who’s (provisionally) going to Teahupo’o?

Here’s a list of the qualified athletes via both the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games and the 2023 World Surf League Championship Tour (so far):

Men
Jordy Smith (RSA) – Africa
Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) – Asia
Kauli Vaast (FRA) – Europe
Billy Stairmand (NZL) – Oceania

Women
Sarah Baum (RSA) – Africa
Shino Matsuda (JPN) – Asia
Vahine Fierro (FRA) – Europe
Saffi Vette (NZL) – Oceania

Qualified to date via WSL CT
Tatiana Weston Webb (BRA)
Brisa Hennessy (CRC)
Johanne Defay (FRA)
Teresa Bonvalot (POR)

As a reminder, here’s the hierarchy for qualification, which will see more surfers getting the opportunity to represent their country soon via the 2023 CT:

1. 2023 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour: First 10 eligible men and first 8 eligible women.

2. 2023 ISA World Surfing Games: 4 men and 4 women selected based on their continent. Top finishing eligible surfer of each gender from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

3. 2023 Pan American Games: First eligible man and first eligible woman in the surfing competitions.

4. 2024 ISA World Surfing Games: First 5 eligible men and first 7 eligible women.

5. 2024 ISA World Surfing Games: The winning teams by gender, will qualify 1 place for their respective country/NOC, regardless of the 2-per country quota limit.

6. 2022 ISA World Surfing Games: The winning teams by gender, will qualify 1 place for their respective country/NOC, regardless of the 2-per country quota limit.

7. Host nation slot: One man and one woman slot will be guaranteed for the host nation of France, unless already filled through the above hierarchies. Should athletes from France qualify regularly, their slots will be reallocated to the highest ranked eligible surfers from the 2024 World Surfing Games.

8. Universality Place: For the first time, one place per gender will be made available to eligible NOCs. Special consideration will be given to the nature of the wave in Teahupoo in terms of the eligibility criteria for these places. Should there deemed to be no qualified surfers in this category, these slots will be reallocated to the highest ranked eligible surfers from the 2024 World Surfing Games The complete process and selection criteria for these places will be communicated by the IOC at a later date.

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