Surfing as an Olympic sport in 2020

Surfing is coming to the Olympic Games. For the first time, the water sport will be part of one of the most important competitions in history and will debut in Tokyo in 2020. But its arrival has not been easy and has raised many questions, such as whether the event will take place in a wave pool or in the ocean.
The option of using a wave pool initially gained traction. Surfer Kelly Slater, owner of a private wave pool, explained the benefits of holding the Olympic event in one. Ultimately, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opted for holding the event in the ocean. The waves at Tsurigasaki Beach, in Chiba Prefecture—between Kujukuri and Ichinomiya—and at the southern end of Kujukuri Beach, have become the chosen venue for the event. This beach is over 60 kilometers long and has hosted several international competitions. Participants are expected to enjoy good waves for the competition.

Qualification system for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games:

• There will be only one surfing discipline, shortboard, and three medals per category will be awarded—gold, silver, and bronze—as in the other Olympic sports.
• Twenty men and 20 women will be selected for the event in Japan.
• A maximum of two surfers per gender will participate from each National Olympic Committee (NOC).
• Qualifying spots will be earned on a personal and individual basis.
• Qualifying events have been determined in order. If two surfers of the same gender qualify through the first ranking, that NOC will not be able to qualify more surfers of the same gender through lower-level qualifying events.
• All athletes selected by their respective federations for national teams are required to participate in the 2019-2020 ISA World Surfing Games. Otherwise, they will not be eligible for Olympic qualification.
• Some details about the requirements are still under review by the ISA and IOC, so changes may appear in the coming months.

Ranking order for the 2020 Tokyo Surfing Championship:

1. 2019 World Surf League Championship Tour. The first 10 eligible men and the first 8 eligible women will be selected.
2. 2020 ISA World Surfing Games. The first 4 eligible men and the first 6 eligible women will be selected.
3. 2019 ISA World Surfing Games. Four men and four women will be selected based on their continent. The first eligible surfers of each gender will be from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
4. 2019 Pan American Games. The first eligible man and the first eligible woman will be selected in the Surfing competitions.
5. Host Nation Quota. A quota will be guaranteed for one man and one woman from the host nation (Japan), unless the quota has already been filled by the previous ranking. If Japanese athletes qualify through the previous rankings, their spots will be reallocated to the top eligible surfers at the 2020 ISA World Surfing Games.

The final qualification system for the 2020 Olympic surfing event stems from an agreement between the World Surf League and the ISA. Late last year, the international organization proposed the principles of the complete qualification system to the IOC. Since then, both organizations have worked together to review and adapt the event. This system seeks to promote equal opportunities for surfers around the world, ensuring that only the best surfers compete in the Olympic Games.

With 2019 approaching, there’s still one year left to qualify for the event. Therefore, anyone can compete among the 40 best surfers in the world who will compete in this event at Tokyo 2020. So, it’s time to learn to surf and enjoy one of the sports that has gained more followers in recent times.