How to qualify for surfing at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained
At Paris 2024 there will be eight more surfers competing than there were at Tokyo 2020 where the sport made its Olympic debut. Find out below everything you need to know about the number of athletes, stars to watch and pathway to qualification below.
The first records of surfing date back to the Hawaiian archipelago in the 15th century. More recently, in the 1950s, the sport began to gain worldwide recognition.
Surfing made its Olympic Games debut at Tokyo 2020 and was one of his highlights of the Games. It will also be among the most anticipated sports at Paris 2024.
The Paris 2024 surfing competition will not take place in France, but in Tahiti, a French Polynesian island located in the Pacific Ocean. The beaches of Teahupo'o - which host one of the stages of the World Surf League (WSL) every year - were chosen to host the Olympic tournament, which takes place between 27 and 29 July 2024.
A total of 48 surfers will compete in Paris - 24 of each genre and eight more in total than Tokyo 2020. France, as the host country, will be entitled to two places, one in the women's tournament and one in the men's.
Learn more about the surfing qualification system for Paris 2024.
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Number of athletes
Paris 2024 will see a total of 48 athletes competing, 24 in the women's competition and 24 in the men's. This means a total of eight more surfers compared to Tokyo 2020.
Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can qualify a maximum of four representatives for the next Olympic Games (two for each gender), though this number could rise to three (in each gender), with the final spots going to the top-placed national teams at the 2022 and 2024 ISA World Surfing Games.
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The qualification system
Quota places for Paris 2024 will be distributed in two ways: (1) qualification by athletes and (2) qualification by National Olympic Committees teams, with their respective events that will distribute places.
Qualification by athletes
-Championship Tour (CT) of the World Surf League (WSL) 2023.
-ISA World Surfing Games 2023.
-Pan American Games 2023.
-ISA World Surfing Games 2024.
Qualification by National Olympic Committee (NOC)
-ISA World Surfing Games 2022.
-ISA World Surfing Games 2024.
The 2024 ISA World Surfing Games gold medal team will earn a spot for the respective National Olympic Committee (NOC). The remaining spots for the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games will be reallocated for an athlete.
Distribution of the quota places
Men - 24 quota places
2023 WSL Championship Tour (CT) - 10 quota places
The top 10 surfers from the 2023 season of the WSL Championship Tour will be entitled to a place in Paris 2024.
Continental representation - five quota places
With the exception of the Americas, the best placed athlete from each continent (Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania) at the ISA 2023 World Surfing Games will be entitled to a spot in Paris 2024.
For the Americas, the gold medallist of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games Santiago 2023 will be entitled to a spot in Paris 2024.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee exceeds the number of athletes allowed for the Paris 2024 dispute, the spot for the ISA 2023 World Surfing Games or the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games will be reallocated to the next best placed surfer on the continent and event in question.
2024 ISA World Surfing Games - five quota places
The top five athletes at the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games will earn a place at Paris 2024.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee exceeds the number of athletes allowed for the Paris 2024 dispute, the spot for the ISA 2023 World Surfing Games or the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 will be reallocated to the next best placed surfer on the continent and event in question.
2024 ISA World Surfing Games - one quota place (per National Olympic Committee team)
The National Olympic Committee best placed in the men's competition at the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games will earn one spot at Paris 2024.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee (CON) already has two athletes qualified for the Paris 2024 Games, this NOC will be allowed to register a third to compete in the Olympic surfing competition.
2022 ISA World Surfing Games - one quota place (per National Olympic Committee team)
The best placed National Olympic Committee in the men's competition of the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games will win one spot at Paris 2024.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee (CON) already has two athletes qualified for the Paris 2024 Games, this NOC will be allowed to register a third to compete in the Olympic surfing competition.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee wins the right to a third place at Paris 2024 on account of the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games team result, the next best placed National Olympic Committee team at the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games will have entitled to a spot at Paris 2024.
Universality places - one quota place
An invitation is made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to all National Olympic Committees interested in having athletes in surfing in Paris 2024.
The National Olympic Committees, later, will express their willingness to send surfers to the Games. After that, a Tripartite Commission will define the National Olympic Committee that will fill the quota place and will inform in writing.
To be registered for a spot granted by the principle of Universality, the athlete must be in the top 50 of the 2023 or 2024 ISA World Surfing Games.
Host Country place - one quota place
The host country (France) is entitled to one quota place per gender.
However, the seat that France is entitled to as the host country will be used by the French National Olympic Committee, only if France does not have any classified athletes yet.
Women - 24 quota places
2023 WSL Championship Tour (CT) - eight quota places
The top eight surfers from the 2023 season of the WSL Championship Tour will be entitled to a place at Paris 2024.
Continental representation - five quota places
With the exception of the Americas, the best placed athlete from each continent (Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania) at the ISA 2023 World Surfing Games will be entitled to a spot in Paris 2024.
For the Americas, the gold medalist athlete of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games Santiago 2023 will be entitled to a spot in Paris 2024.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee exceeds the number of athletes allowed for the Paris 2024 dispute, the spot for the ISA 2023 World Surfing Games or the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games will be reallocated to the next best placed surfer on the continent and event in question.
2024 ISA World Surfing Games - seven quota places
The top seven athletes at the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games will earn a place at Paris 2024.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee exceeds the number of athletes allowed for the Paris 2024 dispute, the spot for the ISA 2023 World Surfing Games or the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 will be reallocated to the next best placed surfer on the continent and event in question.
2024 ISA World Surfing Games - one quota place (per National Olympic Committee team)
The National Olympic Committee best placed in the women's competition at the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games will earn one spot at Paris 2024.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee (CON) already has two athletes qualified for the Paris 2024 Games, this NOC will be allowed to register a third to compete in the Olympic surfing competition.
2022 ISA World Surfing Games - one quota place (per National Olympic Committee team)
The best placed National Olympic Committee in the women's competition of the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games will win one spot at Paris 2024.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee (CON) already has two athletes qualified for the Paris 2024 Games, this NOC will be allowed to register a third to compete in the Olympic surfing competition.
In the event that a National Olympic Committee wins the right to a third place at Paris 2024 on account of the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games team result, the next best placed National Olympic Committee team at the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games will have entitled to a spot at Paris 2024.
Universality places - one quota place
An invitation is made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to all National Olympic Committees interested in having athletes in surfing in Paris 2024.
The National Olympic Committees, later, will express their willingness to send surfers to the Games. After that, a Tripartite Commission will define the National Olympic Committee that will fill the quota place and will inform in writing.
To be registered for a spot granted by the principle of Universality, the athlete must be in the top 50 of the 2023 or 2024 ISA World Surfing Games.
Host Country place - one quota place
The host country (France) is entitled to one quota place per gender.
However, the seat that France is entitled to as the host country will be used by the French National Olympic Committee, only if France does not have any classified athletes yet.
Surfers to watch at Paris 2024
Current Olympic champion, Carissa Moore (USA) leads the current season of the WSL Championship Tour, having won only one stage but shown great consistency. She will certainly be among the favourites to win a spot in the women's Olympic surfing tournament.
Johanne Defay of host country France will be aiming to shine in front of her home crowd. She sits in second place in the 2022 WSL standings, having won one stage title. Costa Rica's Brisa Hennessy is also in great shape and has the skills necessary to go further than she did at Tokyo 2020, where her campaign ended in the quarterfinals. Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil will be aiming high in Paris after proving herself to be one of the best surfers of recent times.
In the men’s competition, Filipe Toledo of Brazil currently leads the WSL Championship Tour with two stage titles. He is followed by Australian Jack Robinson, who has also won twice this year. Brazil’s Olympic champion, Italo Ferreira will go in search of another Olympic title on the waves of Tahiti, while Ethan Ewing is one of the rising stars of Australian surfing, with the ability to deliver gold for his country, which has historically been a reference in the sport.
Three-time world champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil narrowly missed out on the Olympic final and the bronze medal in Tokyo. After taking a break from the sport, he returned during the WSL Championship Tour this season and is recovering from a recent injury. Everything indicates that he will be able to recover in time to fight for a place at the next Games.
Surfing qualification timeline for Paris 2024
- Qualification period: September 2022 to June 2024
- September 2022: 2022 ISA World Surfing Games - Huntington Beach, CA, USA
- January 2023 to September 2023: WSL World Tour (Championship Tour)
- May 2023: ISA World Surfing Games 2023 - location TBD
- October 20, 2023 to November 8, 2023 - Pan American Games, in Santiago (Chile)
- May 2024: ISA World Surfing Games 2024 - location TBD
- July 8, 2024: Deadline for athlete entries at Paris 2024
- July 26 to August 11, 2024: Olympic Games Paris 2024
- 27th to 29th of July 2024: Olympic surfing tournaments, in Tahiti (French Polynesia)
Find out more about the qualification system for other sports that will feature at Paris 2024