John John Florence and Kolohe Andino in race against time

Competing against the clock is nothing new to surfers John John Florence and Kolohe Andino. They do it every time they get in the water to compete in a heat.

But the time pressure they are under right now is different.

Both surfers have provisionally qualified to represent Team USA at Tokyo 2020 in July 2021, but both have suffered injuries in the last two months and had surgery to repair the damage.

Recovery time has never been more crucial for the duo ahead of surfing’s Olympic debut.

And whilst surfing is an individual sport and the pair are always competing against one another, during this time, as they both recover, they’re even doing some of their rehab together.

The good news is that both appear to be on track.

Speaking to the WSL in June, Dean said: "They've both had their surgeries, and I spoke with Dr. Warren Kramer, who has said they have the potential to be ready and surfing well in time for the Olympics. Warren is one of the best around."

John John Florence injury comeback

On 7 May Florence withdrew from the remainder of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) leg in Australia after injuring his left knee in a heat.

A week later, less than three months to surfing’s biggest moment in international sport, Florence went under the knife to have an ACL repair, reattaching the end of the ligament to the femur.

The 28-year-old has admitted it was great to not need a full reconstruction, as this would have been a more invasive surgery, requiring more rehabilitation and ending his Tokyo Olympic dreams.

“The repair has a shorter recovery, and from what I am learning it is a more straightforward healing process for the knee and surrounding muscles,” said Florence on Instagram.

Florence Tokyo qualification battle

Surgery and recovery are nothing new to the two-time world champion.

In fact, his journey to even qualify for the Games in the first place was somewhat of a miracle.

The Hawaiian’s 2018 and 2019 seasons were both derailed by injuries to his right knee. He ruptured the ACL in this knee in June 2019 in Brazil.

He then spent the next few months recovering and getting his knee to place where he was able to surf at the 2019 Pipeline Masters in Hawaii.

Here it came down to surfers' end-of-year rankings on the WSL CT. The top two surfers from each country earned a ticket to Tokyo. With Kolohe Andino having already locked one spot, the second spot remained available.

In the end, Florence progressed far enough in the competition to earn more points and a higher ranking than 11-time surfing world champion Kelly Slater and narrowly grab the second Team USA men's surfing spot over him.

Fast forward to December 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the 2020 season, Florence returned to the same venue for the start of the 2021 WSL season and won his first Pipe Masters crown.

Florence has been more open and revealing of his recovery this time around, posting regular updates on social media.

“Feeling motivated to really know that the Olympics are attainable. I’m excited for this and I’m gonna do everything I can make it happen,” he said on Instagram.

All indications suggest he will make a full recovery in time for Tokyo 2020, but if he is unable to compete at the Olympic Games, his place would be awarded to the next eligible American surfer – Slater.

Kolohe Andino's road to Tokyo

In October of 2019, Kolohe Andino became the first USA surfer to provisionally qualify for Tokyo 2020.

At the time he told the WSL: "I'm just really stoked, you know I felt like I almost wanted to tear up a little so, I went and told my dad and I'm just really so happy, can't be more excited to compete in Tokyo."

Even as the Games get closer, he's still coming to terms with the reality he will be an Olympian come July.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in, watching all the Olympic commercials and everyone it’s kind of strange to think of myself as like a parallel to a Michael Phelps or Simone Biles or something,” Andino explained to Fansided recently.

In March Andino pulled out of the Australian leg of the WSL CT due to a high ankle sprain that he picked up in February.

After two-weeks in mandatory quarantine on arrival in Australia, the 27-year-old aggravated the injury and had surgery shortly after.

All signs suggest that he will make a full recovery for Tokyo.

But the pending Olympics isn't the only big ocasion on his horizon. The American is expecting his first child, a daughter with wife Madison, later this year.