Surfing at Paris 2024 Olympics: Preview, full schedule and how to watch live
For the second time ever, the sport of surfing will take to the Olympic stage. However this time, at Paris 2024, the competition will be held on the iconic Tahitian wave called Teahupo’o.
On the French Polynesian reef break, 48 of the best surfers in the world - 24 male and 24 female - will go head to head aiming for Olympic glory.
The competition begins with round one of the men’s and women’s heats on 27 July and will feature eight more athletes than the lineups at Tokyo 2020, where the sport made its Olympic debut.
“Magical or terrifying,” is how France’s hometown favourite Johanne Defay described the heavy, barrelling wave when speaking to Olympics.com in 2022, and other athletes, including reigning Olympic champion Carissa Moore added to the excitement by calling it “intense,” “scary” and “nothing like you have ever imagined.”
Surfing at Paris 2024 promises to be nothing short of adrenaline-inducing for athletes and audiences alike. Read on for the stars to watch, full schedule and how to watch the action at Teahupo’o live.
Surfing stars to watch at Paris 2024 Olympics
The USA's Moore is the only reigning Olympic surfing champion who will return to Paris and attempt to defend her title, with Brazil's men's champion Italo Ferreira not competing at the upcoming Games. She will be joined by American teammates Caity Simmers and Caroline Marks.
Australia’s Molly Picklum, Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy and France’s Defay and Tahitian native Vahine Fierro will not make it easy for the Americans, though, as all six athletes are gold medal contenders.
Similar to the U.S. women’s team, Brazil will be sending a stacked roster of men to Paris 2024 that includes three-time world champion Gabriel Medina and two-time champion Filipe Toledo.
As with the women’s competition, the race for gold is wide open, as the Brazilians will go up against the likes of high-flying Americans John John Florence and Griffin Colapinto.
Australia’s Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing, as well as South Africa’s Jordy Smith, are also promising athletes hoping to land on the podium, while Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi will attempt to best his silver medal from Tokyo 2020.
Carissa Moore of The United States competes during the opening round of the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro on May 25, 2024 in Teahupo'o, French Polynesia.
Full surfing schedule at Olympic Games 2024
Surfing is due to take place from 27 to 31 July during Paris 2024. Click here for a detailed schedule.
How to watch surfing live at Paris 2024
All the action from Paris 2024, including surfing, can be watched via media rights holders (MRHs).
MRHs include Nine in Australia, Globo in Brazil, CBC in Canada, CCTV in People's Republic of China, Fuji TV/NHK/Nippon TV/TBS/TV Asahi/TV Tokyo in Japan, SKY NZ in New Zealand, SuperSport in South Africa, NBC in the United States, and Discovery Eurosport across Europe, alongside France Télévisions in France, ARD/ZDF in Germany, and BBC Sport in the United Kingdom, among others.
Check listings in other regions for your local broadcaster.