Lords and Ladies of the Rings
As Olympic qualification looms, the world's top surfing are toughing it out in El Salvador for the ISA World Surfing Games (WSG), with five of six South Africans still in the hunt but only Jordy Smith remains in the main tier.
The WSG this year has had cranking big surf for days, but its been tough as many of the world's top WSL surfers competed to hedge their bets in the quest to get to Paris 2024. Of the six South Africans in El Salvador - Smith, Matt McGillivray, Sarah Baum, Joshe Faulkner, Danielle Powis and Zoe Steyn, Powis has already succumbed to the brutal knockout format, and the rest are locked in a monumental marathon to make the final via the relentless repechage rounds.
Powis, the SA Champs winner, got a third in Round 1, which relegated her to Repechage 1, which she won handsomely, only to bow out in Repechage 2. Steyn and Baum are stoically working their way through the Repechage, and have made it to Round 4. Steyn and Baum cannot depend on Olympic qualification through any other way, so must hack it out in the repechage of the WSG.
For those without the option of qualification via the WSL Championship Tour (CT), which is all six Saffas barring Smith and Matt McGillivray, who are 15th and 13th on the CT respectively, qualification is not a given, hence their presence in El Salvador. The WSG is a tough route to qualify. Four men and four women will directly qualify for Paris 2024 through the 2023 WSG. Specifically, the highest-ranking eligible man and woman from each of four continents – Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania – will clinch an Olympic slot.
Smith has won all his heats in the main event, barring a second place finish to defending champ Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) in Round 4. He is through to Round 5, with three more to go before the final, which sees two from the main stream take on the two who emerge bloodied and battered from a marathon 12 repechage rounds.
McGillivray and Joshe Faulkner are looking solid but with a long way to go through the repechage marathon.
They both got a third in Round 2 to be relegated into Repechage 2, a heat they both won before fighting their way into the upcoming Repechage 5. Faulkner smashed his way there after winning Repechage 3 and 4, finishing ahead of John John Florence in Repechage 3. McGillivray snuck in with second place finishes. Sadly, Faulkner and McGillivray must surf against each other in Repechage 5. Only two can go through, and Aussie Ethan Ewing has to be beaten.
After that, a further seven gruelling repechage rounds await before the top two go into the grand finale of the event. What makes it even tougher this year, the event features eight former ISA gold medalists, including defending champ Igarashi and three-time winner Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), with 28 of the 40 Olympians who competed in Tokyo 2020 surfing in the WSG, including gold medalist Carissa Moore (USA), silver medalist Igarashi and bronze medalist Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN).
They both got a third in Round 2 to be relegated into Repechage 2, a heat they both won before fighting their way into the upcoming Repechage 5. Faulkner smashed his way there after winning Repechage 3 and 4, finishing ahead of John John Florence in Repechage 3. McGillivray snuck in with second place finishes. Sadly, Faulkner and McGillivray must surf against each other in Repechage 5. Only two can go through, and Aussie Ethan Ewing has to be beaten.
They both got a third in Round 2 to be relegated into Repechage 2, a heat they both won before fighting their way into the upcoming Repechage 5. Faulkner smashed his way there after winning Repechage 3 and 4, finishing ahead of John John Florence in Repechage 3. McGillivray snuck in with second place finishes. Sadly, Faulkner and McGillivray must surf against each other in Repechage 5. Only two can go through, and Aussie Ethan Ewing has to be beaten.
After that, a further seven gruelling repechage rounds await before the top two go into the grand finale of the event. What makes it even tougher this year, the event features eight former ISA gold medalists, including defending champ Igarashi and three-time winner Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), with 28 of the 40 Olympians who competed in Tokyo 2020 surfing in the WSG, including gold medalist Carissa Moore (USA), silver medalist Igarashi and bronze medalist Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN).
Overall, however, the Saffas are acquitting themselves well, with Team SA standing in ninth place ahead of the USA in 10th, and Brazil out ahead in number one slot, followed by, interestingly, France, Italy, Japan, Peru, Australia, Spain and Canada of all countries, just ahead of SA in 8th.
A record 297 athletes have gathered to compete for the coveted Team Gold medals, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 in Miyazaki. Current Team World Champions, Team USA, have not faired as well this time around.
Florence and Griffin Colapinto were relegated to the repechage rounds early (Round 2). Florence is still fighting, but Colapinto is out of the event. Third team mate Tyler Gunter won all three heats of Rounds 1 to 3, but dropped to the relegation tier in Round 4. Olympic gold medalist Moore and Caroline Marks have won all their heats to make Round 4 with Brianna Cope dropping out in Round 2, but having survived to Repechage 4.
It is little wonder that the event has been met with such hype and record attendance. After the successful debut of surfing at Tokyo 2020, Teahupo’o, Tahiti is set to deliver an even bigger and better show in 2024.
Olympic qualification slots for the Americas, one for men and one for women, will be decided via the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. The top five ranking eligible men and top five ranking eligible women representing the Americas at the WSG will qualify for Santiago 2023 and the winners of that event will clinch the Olympic slots for their continent.
