Road to Paris 2024: China’s 14-Year-Old Sensation Becomes the Youngest Olympic Qualifier, Ready to Upend Team USA in Surfing

The first time to everything is special and for this 14-year-old Chinese surfer, things have just gotten better. Making her debut at WSG a couple of years back, this athlete had only one dream— to qualify for the Olympics. However, she knew that it wouldn’t be an easy one. And now, after she has finally managed to pull off the feat, her name is etched in the history books. The 14-year-old surfer from China has become the very first of her kind to qualify for the Olympics in surfing. 

While still in school, the surfer is also the youngest in her discipline to get an Olympic berth. With eyes now firmly set on the serene waves of Teahupo’o, the Chinese youngster dreams of Olympic glory. 

14-year-old teen from China charging ahead

Yang Siqi is living the dream at the moment. Siqi’s moment of reckoning dawned on her when she triumphed in the repechage at the World Surfing Games, held in Puerto Rico. Siqi, after receiving her ceremonial Olympic tickets from the International Surfing officials, is now part of the prestigious 24-women team in Paris. She will be battling it out at Teahupo’o over the course of four days, commencing on July 27. 

Interestingly, her victory becomes more special when we take a look at the opponents she beat. Competing alongside Siqi was Britain’s Sky Brown, who has been a marvel in recent times. The 14-year-old schoolgirl, who began professional surfing in 2018, also edged past Costa Rican Olympian, Brisa Hennessy. 

Speaking about her gameplan coming into the competition, Siqi said she did not try to overdo things. She said, “All I thought was to relax, do my best and make it to the next round.” The athlete also reflected on the difficulty of the waves by saying, “The waves were especially difficult, the current was strong.” Surprisingly, even though she won the competition, Siqi did not expect her to win and almost left the arena! 

Yang Siqi was doubtful about her triumph 

Even after delivering a power-packed performance, Siqi was underconfident. In an interview with a Chinese media outlet, Siqi spilled the beans that she failed to qualify after the wrap of round 6. Luckily, the staff present in the facility requested her to wait until the final standings were announced. 

Read More: Having Qualified for the Paris Olympics, 22 YO Surfer Opens Up on Battling Dyslexia, Parental Loss, and Injuries, Says “It Takes a Lot of Courage”

Finally, when her name was announced, Siqi felt her entire world spinning ever so fast. She stated, “I was super-excited when being informed of that and I felt my hands trembling.” Thus, now with the initial history being made, Siqi would surely hope to capitalize on the opportunity in Paris.

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