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> News > Johanne Defay Has Provisionally Qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games!

surfing News

Johanne Defay Has Provisionally Qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games!

Image credit: / WSL / Miers

22 October 2019

Defay will represent France at surfing’s Olympic debut subject to nomination by her NOC. 2019 WSL Rankings determine first 18 qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 conditional upon meeting ISA eligibility requirements.

Johanne Defay (FRA) has qualified through the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) to represent France at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Following Defay’s Quarterfinal entry at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal today, she is guaranteed to finish in the Top 8 on the WSL Rankings and has earned her provisional place to compete in Tokyo.

“I am definitely thankful for this new opportunity,” said Defay. “The Olympics is giving us a bigger picture for surfing and I am so proud to represent Reunion Island and France. I’ve seen the news for Jeremy Flores’ qualification a couple of days ago and I wanted my news too. I am excited to represent with Jeremy and likely Michel Bourez.”

Defay, 25, joined the elite ranks in 2014 and has been a leading crusader in the push for more progressive surfing. She formulated her ambitious style at home on Reunion Island, in the middle of the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mauritius. Defay’s path to the CT was through her birthplace in France, where she led her country to its first world amateur title. Her road through the Qualifying Series was tougher, with sponsors in short supply at the time. Defay’s family and fellow Reunion Island surfer Jeremy Flores, a longtime believer in her, kept her going. She finally made the grade in 2013, after three years on the Qualifying Series and has since collected three CT wins and has finished in the Top 10 every year since joining the elite tour.

Surfing will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020 and the 2019 WSL CT, the elite year-long tour that crowns the World Champions each season, will be an important qualification pathway for the world's best surfers.

To find out more download the WSL App, check out the WSL Rankings and follow Defay at @johannedefay.

Following the final CT events of 2019 (the Hawaii Pro from November 25 to December 6, 2019 and the Billabong Pipe Masters from December 8 to 20, 2019), 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.

There is a maximum of two men and two women for each country that can qualify for the 2020 Games so this year’s CT sees surfers not only battle for the World Title and requalification for the tour but also to finish as one of the top two ranked surfers from their nation.

The remaining 22 places are being determined through the 2019 and 2020 ISA World Surfing Games, the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, and a single slot (each for men and women) for the host nation, Japan.

Provisional 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

Brasil - 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

The world’s best surfers are currently in Europe for the penultimate stop on the 2019 CT, the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, which holds a competitive window from October 16 - 28.

Both events will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL App and Facebook.com/WSL. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners around the world.