Surfing: USA's John John Florence leads eight men advancing from round one at Teahupo’o Olympic venue
The surfing competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 opened Saturday 27 July at the stunning Teahupo’o venue in French Tahiti for the sport’s second Olympic Games appearance.
The men's round one featured eight 30-minute heats with 24 surfers competing. Eight men advanced into round 3, with the remaining 16 continuing into round 2 where they will have a second chance to qualify.
Following round 1, the eight men advancing directly into round 3 are Australia's Ethan Ewing, France's Joan Duru, Peru’s Alonso Correa, Brazil's Gabriel Medina and João Chianca, Team USA's John John Florence and Griffin Colapinto, plus Japan's Inaba Reo.
Team USA's Colapinto earned the top wave score of the day of 9.53 (a perfect ride is 10 points) and Florence earned the top combined score of the competition of 17.33, with Team USA making a statement early on. (A surfer's two highest-scoring waves are combined for an overall total.)
The top surfer from each heat advances into round 3, with the bottom two surfers advancing to round 2.
Read on for results from each heat:
- Surfing: USA's Caroline Marks leads eight women advancing from opening round of Olympic competition at Teahupo'o
- Paris 2024 Olympics: Meet Griffin Colapinto, the movie star, multi-faceted board rider and Matthew McConaughey’s favorite surfer
Round two continues on Sunday, 28 July.
Ethan Ewing of Australia gets into the barrel in the first heat of the men's surfing round 1 at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 venue of Teahupo'o, in French Polynesia, on 27 July 2024.
Heat 1: Ethan Ewing advances over Tim Elter and Jordy Smith
The first wave of the heat and of the competition went to Australia’s Ethan Ewing, who earned the highest score of the heat, with a clean backhand barrel to earn a 7.33 to earn a heat total of 9.9. This marks a huge mental win as Ewing is coming back from a broken back here in August of 2023.
South Africa’s Jordy Smith (7.60) and Germany’s Tim Elter (4.0) will get another chance to advance in round 2.
Heat 2: France's Joan Duru advances over Jack Robinson and Matthew McGillivray
France’s Joan Duru earned the top wave score of the heat when he dropped into a deep frontside barrel, earning a 7.67 for a final combined score of 13.84 to advance over Australia’s Jack Robinson (13.36) in the final seconds of competition. South Africa’s Matthew McGillivray finished with a 5.26.
Heat 3: Peru's Alonso Correa advances over Filipe Toledo and Kanoa Igarashi
Peru’s Alonso Correa overcame a stacked heat to earn two of the highest scores of the heat, demonstrating critical surfing skills and keen wave selection. His deep frontside barrel earned the top score of 8.50 to finish with a combined score of 14.33.
Two-time world champion Filipe Toledo of Brazil finished with a heat total of 7.63, while Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Igarashi Kanoa earned a 4.17 first-score wave, and didn't ride a second wave.
Gabriel Medina of Brazil rides a wave during round one of surfing on the first day of competition of Olympic Games Paris 2024 at the surfing venue in Teahupo'o, French Polynesia, on 27 July 2024.
Heat 4: Brazil's Gabriel Medina advances over Connor O’Leary and Bryan Perez
A three-time world champion from Brazil, Gabriel Medina kept the momentum building throughout the heat, repeatedly topping his best scores. Medina navigated deep inside a series of frontside barrels combined with smooth, high-speed cutbacks and the occasional attempted air to earn an overall heat score of 13.50.
Japan’s Connor O’Leary earned a 9.93 and El Savador’s Bryan Perez finished with a 7.53.
Heat 5: Brazil's João Chianca advances over Ramzi Boukhiam and Billy Stairmand
Brazilian goofy-footed surfer João Chianca narrowly claimed victory with a late drop under-the-lip and straight into the barrel bottom turn to earn a wave score of 5.67 for a total heat score of 10.07.
Ramzi Boukhaim of Morocco earned a 9.67 and Billy Stairmand of New Zealand finished with a 4.46.
Griffin Colapinto of Team United State rides a wave during round one of surfing on day one of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at on July 27, 2024 in Teahupo'o, French Polynesia.
Heat 6: USA’s John John Florence advances over Andy Criere and Alan Cleland
Team USA’s John John Florence took the win in the most competitive heat of the day, catching wave after wave, even finding a few west bowls on his paddle back out. The two-time world champion posted both the highest wave score of the day (9.33) and the highest heat total of the day (17.33).
Mexico's Alan Cleland Quinonez found his way out of a pair of deep barrels for a combined score of 14.14. And Spain's Andy Criere but he too put on a show with one of the best waves of the day, an 8.50 earned for standing tall in a deep and dangerous tube.
Heat 7: USA’s Griffin Colapinto advances over Kauli Vaast and Lucca Mesinas
Team USA's Griffin Colapinto, the number two ranked surfer in the world, displayed near perfect techincal tube riding including a 9.53 single-wave score, the highest single wave score of the day's competition, to finish with a combined score of 17.03.
Tahitian local Kauli Vaast of France put together one of the longest tube rides of the competition, earning a 7.80 to finish with a 13.63 while Peru’s Lucca Mesinas finished with a heat total of 11.10.
Heat 8: Japan’s Inaba Reo advances over Rio Waida and Leonardo Fioravanti
Japan's Inaba Reo surfed strategically, maximizing wave selection throughout the heat and earning a wave score of 7.33 along the way to a total combined score of 12.76.
Second place went to Italy’s Leonardo Fioravanti with a total score of 8.87 while Indonesia’s Rio Waida was the third-place finisher with a combined score of 5.74.