Day seven of the ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador is over, and with it comes another addition to the pool of Olympic surfing competitors: France’s Vahine Fierro.
Vahine Fierro was born and raised on Huahine, only 125 miles from Teahupo’o, where the Olympic surfing competition will be held. In an interview by the ISA, she was thrilled at the prospect of a homecoming for the games. “Home is where the Olympics are,” Fierro said. “I’m feeling so excited to be an Olympian for the first time at home. I couldn’t have asked for better.”
“Expect a big show with a lot of power, grace, and a lot of kindness as well with the local people there. I think that it’s a place where nobody can understand how special it is until they go there and feel the vibe and they will feel it through the TV as well.”
Each National Olympic Committee can qualify two athletes of each gender. Since Johanne Defay has already earned a place through the CT, the French women’s team is locked in. The only exception would be if France’s national team won the 2024 ISA surfing games, which would land them a third seat.
This brings the total number of Olympic qualifications in El Salvador to six, with two slots left to go: the men’s spots for Europe and Asia. France’s Kauli Vaast and Spain’s Gonzalo Gutierrez will vie for the European slot, while Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi and Reo Inaba are in competition for Asia.
To recap, the athletes who have qualified via the ISA Games are:
Jordy Smith (RSA)
Sarah Baum (RSA)
Billy Stairmand (NZL)
Saffi Vette (NZL)
Shino Matsuda (JPN)
Vahine Fierro (FRA)
This is in addition to the surfers who have already qualified via the CT:
Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
Brisa Hennessy (CRC)
Johanne Defay (FRA)
Teresa Bonvalot (POR)
