PARIS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Surfing is making its second appearance at the Olympic Games as the world's top surfers meet at French Polynesia's Teahupo'o, while China makes its historic debut on the Olympic waves.
Following the first Olympic appearance in Tokyo 2020, the surfing competition is set for the South Pacific Ocean, more than 15,000km away from the host city Paris. Dubbed "The End of the Road", Teahupo'o is one of the world's most majestic and spectacular surfing locations, offering beautiful waves which could also be intimidating for even the most experienced surfers.
After a two-year qualification process, 48 of the world's best surfers, 24 women and 24 men respectively, have earned the opportunity to take on the unique challenge that Teahupo'o will provide, up from the 20 women and men in Tokyo 2020.
Reigning Olympic champion Carissa Moore is returning to defend her title. While Tokyo 2020 men's gold medalist Italo Ferreira will be absent, his country Brazil is sending the most representatives, with six in total.
Tough competitions lie ahead as other surfing powerhouses like the U.S. and Australia will also head to Tahiti with stacked rosters of top-ranked athletes. Meanwhile, China, Canada, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Spain will each see their first Olympic surfing representatives in Paris.
Fernando Aguerre, President of the International Surfing Association (ISA), expects the surfing in Paris 2024 to be "very likely an amazing competition that will go down in history."
Despite being a latecomer to this highly professional sport, China would achieve a historic breakthrough in Paris 2024. 15-year-old Yang Siqi is set to make the Olympic debut in surfing for her country as China's first female surfer, after securing the berth at the World
Surfing Games (WSG) 2024 in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
"I think it's amazing that there is a Chinese surfer. It's an amazing, beautiful surprise to have her," Aguerre said of Yang's upcoming Olympic appearance.
"I met her in the juniors' competitions. She's an amazing athlete. She loves surfing and I think she has a great opportunity in her life being so young and being so well connected with the ocean," Aguerre told Xinhua in a telephone interview, "She has great physical condition. She understands the ocean, and she surfs like she has surfed for a long time."
Yang is set to face Nadia Erostarbe of Spain and Saffi Vette of New Zealand in the Round 1 heat. "Round 1 would be the most crucial for us," said Yang's coach Lou Yang. "So we would focus all our efforts on Round 1."
Surfing in Paris 2024 will require four days to complete during the competition window from July 27 to August 5, 2024. The format will allow every surfer a chance to surf twice. The winners of Round 1 advance to Round 3 with the 2nd and 3rd place surfers going to an elimination Round 2.
From Round 3 onward, heats are one-on-one with winners advancing and 2nd place eliminated through the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and into the Bronze and Gold Medal matches.
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