Japan and USA win the first Paris 2024 Olympic quota spots through performance at 2022 ISA World Surfing Games
Two quota spots have been won by Japan and USA at the first Paris 2024 Olympic qualifying event - Live on Olympics.com. Here's how they were won.
Surfing
Japan's men's national team and USA's women's national team have secured the first two spots for surfing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Kanaoa Igarashi won the men's individual title at the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games for Japan, while Kirra Pinkerton of Team USA claimed the women's title. In doing so they both helped their countries earn the most team points in their events.
Igarashi secured the spot alongside his Japanese teammates Kamiyama Keanu and fellow Olympian Murakami Shun.
"This week I learned a lot about myself," Igarashi told Olympics.com after the win. "In surfing, you have to be selfish but I really learned a lot about myself as a person and how important it is to share that competitive energy and knowledge with the team and to bring a team together."
Pinkerton led the USA women's charge with the support of Zoe McDougall and Gabriela Bryan in Huntington Beach, California.
"I told myself at the start of the competition that I wanted to take the little girl inside of me to the top and I can't believe that I've done that. I'm so proud and so happy I'm one step closer to my dream of trying to win gold at the Olympics." - Kirra Pinkerton.
These are the first two spots to be won in surfing's journey to the next Olympic Games, the second time the sport has been contested at the Olympics following it's debut at Tokyo 2020 in 2021.
Be sure to catch all the highlights, news, results and reactions from the event on Olympics.com.