Despite All On-Going Controversies, WSL Breaks Down ‘Qualification Season’ for the 2024 Olympics

The past few months have been marred by controversy for the World Surf League. After Italo Ferreira and Gabriel Medina were both knocked after a close match-up at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch Pro, both athletes shared their frustration about the judges online. Medina hinted that the WSL is known for being unfair to Brazilian surfers. Brazilian surfing fans took this controversy to another level by issuing harmful threats to WSL judges and staff. So much so that the then WSL CEO Erik Logan had to jump in and clarify how judges rule on scores.

Soon another controversy emerged as Erik Logan, the former WSL president, was sacked mid-season. Now as the WSL is heading to Teahupo’o, the venue for next year’s Paris Olympics, there are still a number of Olympic spots up for grabs. In order to remain as transparent as possible for surfing fans, the WSL has recently released details on their social media regarding the qualification process for the Olympics.

How will athletes qualify for surfing at the Olympics?

The clock is ticking for next year’s Paris Olympics. With a year to go for the biggest sporting event, a number of surfers have already qualified provisionally for the Games. However, there still remain a number of spots, some of which will be decided at the 2023 Tahiti Pro Teahupo’o. In fact, next year’s Olympic surfing events will also be held at Teahupo’o.

Therefore, in a way, the upcoming event also serves as a rehearsal for next year’s Summer Games. Taking the opportunity to clear the air about how the Olympic qualification will work, the WSL shared a detailed Instagram post that highlights the whole process. The 2023 Tahiti Pro Teahupo’o is set to play a decisive role in the allocation of more provisional quotas for the impending Olympic Games.

A total of eighteen coveted spots, comprising ten for men and eight for women, hang in the balance, waiting to be awarded through the Championship Tour, based on the end-of-season rankings. WSL’s post highlights that, through the CT, each country has the opportunity to qualify only two male and two female surfers. It also points to the provision that, in the case of a country already having two qualifiers, the qualification process will be shifted to the next highest-ranked athlete from another country.

The post also suggested that eight surfers have already qualified provisionally for the Paris Olympics and most spots will be filled by the Shiseido Tahiti Pro. This upcoming CT in Tahiti will serve as a gateway to the WSL finals that will happen next month and the finalists that will compete in California will be decided in Tahiti itself, with a few slots already filled.

Who will make it to the Men’s WSL Finals?

The Tahiti Pro is the last stop before the Championship Tour’s final event unfolds from September 8 to 16. After excelling in the previous Championship Tour stop in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa in July, defending champion Filipe Toledo, Australia’s rising star Ethan Ewing, and USA’s Griffin Colapinto have already booked their final spot. As the tides of competition rise, Australia’s Jack Robinson, Ryan Callinan, and Connor O’Leary emerge as contenders within striking distance of the top five.

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Their destiny hinges on their performance at the Tahiti Pro, as the highest-ranked among them charts a course to join Ewing in Australia’s representation at the next Olympic Games. Bearing a ticket to Paris 2024, Italy’s Leonardo Fioravanti emerges as the dark horse in this exhilarating race as he is positioned at ninth in the rankings. All surfers will look to make their mark in the upcoming Tahiti Pro in order to secure their spot for the sport’s biggest spectacle next year.

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