The old judging tower at the embattled Olympic venue. Photo: WSL
There’s just two months to go until the surfing event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Surfing’s second-ever appearance at the games will go down in Teahupo’o, Tahiti from July 27th to August 4th. Though the upcoming event has seen plenty of news coverage, it’s often been centered around ancillary issues, such as the embattled judging tower that was completed in March.
However, with a new announcement from the International Surfing Association (ISA) of the round one heat draws, we have a little more insight into how the actual competition might go down. The men’s and women’s events each have 24 athletes, divided into eight three-person heats. The winner of each heat will advance to the round of 16, while the bottom two will be sent to repechage.
There’s a lot of good matchups here, but we’re sure to have an eye on heat four of the women’s event, where Tatiana Weston-Webb, Molly Picklum and Caity Simmers will duke it out in quite possibly the most stacked matchup of the entire opening round (men’s or women’s). Check out the rest of the heats below.
WOMEN’S HEATS
Heat 1: Yolanda Hopkins (POR), Caroline Marks (USA), Sarah Baum (RSA)
Heat 2: Sol Aguirre (PER), Janire Etxabarri (ESP), Vahine Fierro (FRA)
Heat 3: Anat Lelior (ISR), Sanoa Dempfle-Olin (CAN), Tyler Wright (AUS)
Heat 4: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Molly Picklum (AUS), Caitlin Simmers (USA)
Heat 5: Johanne Defay (FRA), Brisa Hennessy (CRC), Candelaria Resano (NCA)
Heat 6: Tainá Hinckel (BRA), Camila Kemp (GER), Luana Silva (BRA)
Heat 7: Nadia Erostarbe (ESP), Siqi Yang (CHN), Saffi Vette (NZL)
Heat 8: Carissa Moore (USA), Teresa Bonvalot (POR), Matsuda Shino (JPN)
MEN’S HEATS
Heat 1: Ethan Ewing (AUS), Tim Elter (GER), Jordy Smith (RSA)
Heat 2: Joan Duru (FRA), Jack Robinson (AUS), Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
Heat 3: Alonso Correa (PER), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Connor O’Leary (JPN), Bryan Perez (ESA)
Heat 5: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR), Billy Stairmand (NZL), João Chianca (BRA)
Heat 6: Andy Criere (ESP), John John Florence (USA), Alan Cleland (MAR)
Heat 7: Kauli Vaast (FRA), Lucca Mesinas (PER), Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Heat 8: Rio Waida (INA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Inaba Reo (JPN)
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