Publications
Partners
Cape Town - World No 3 Jordy Smith has qualified through the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) to represent South Africa at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Smith's fifth-placed finish at the ongoing Quiksilver Pro France in Nouvelle-Aquitaine saw him end inside the Top 10 on the WSL CT rankings.
The 31-year-old has earned a provisional place to complete in Tokyo and became the first South African surfer to qualify for the Olympics.
On Tuesday, Smith took to Instagram and revealed that he is "proud" of the achievement.
"WOW - Dreams do come true. #olympics2020 It's been something I have thought about since I started surfing. Such an honour to be the first male to qualify, and on to of it all to represent #southafrica I am so proud," he wrote.
The South African is a two-time world title runner-up with six CT wins under his belt since he joined the elite tour in 2006.
Surfing will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020 with the surfing scheduled to start on Sunday, July 26, 2020.
The WSL rankings will determine the first 18 eligible Olympic qualifiers (10 men and 8 women), subject to all qualified surfers meeting the ISA's and IOC's eligibility requirements and being selected by their respective National Olympic Committee (NOC).
A maximum of two men and two women from each country can qualify for the 2020 Games.
CT Olympic selection based on the current WSL rankings:
USA - Kolohe Andino, John John Florence, Carissa Moore, Lakey Peterson
Australia - Owen Wright, Julian Wilson, Sally Fitzgibbons, Stephanie Gilmore
Brazil - Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Silvana Lima
Japan - Kanoa Igarashi
South Africa - Jordy Smith
France - Michel Bourez, Jeremy Flores, Johanne Defay
Costa Rica - Brisa Hennessy
- Compiled by Lynn Butler
