The Tokyo Olympics are well underway and Team GB is doing its best to keep up with the tough competition. But one sport the team won't be going for gold in this year is surfing, which makes its debut at this year's games.
Surfing, karate, skateboarding and sport climbing are all new additions to the Olympic Games portfolio this year.
The world's top surfers chased the medals in the sea along Japan's spectacular Pacific coastline, where "the condition of the waves, the direction and strength of the wind, and the ebb and flow of the tide will all be factors," it says on the Olympics website.
Advert
"No two waves are alike, making surfing a competition where athletes compete against each other while balancing the changing conditions of nature," it added.
What beach is the Olympics surfing on?
This year's surfing event took place on Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach, which is 40 miles from Tokyo, where the majority of the Olympic games are taking place.
"Boasting world-class waves, this beach attracts lots of surfers each year," according to the Olympics event page. "The beach is located in Ichinomiya town on Chiba Prefecture's Pacific coastline."
Which countries have qualified for the Olympics surfing?
18 countries have qualified for the first ever Olympics surfing event. They are:
- France with Pauline Ado, Michel Bourez, Johanne Defay and Jeremy Flores
- Peru with Lucca Mesinas, Sofia Mulanovich, Daniella Rosas and Miguel Tudela
- USA with Kohlone Andino, John John Florence, Caroline Marks and Carissa Moore
- Australia with Sally Fitzgibbons, Stephanie Gilmore, Julian Wilson and Owen Wright
- Portugal with Teresa Bonvalot and Yolanda Hopkins
- Brazil with Italo Ferreira, Silvana Lima, Gabriel Medina and Tatiana Weston-Webb
- Ecuador with Dominic Barona
- Morocco with Ramzi Boukhiam
- South Africa with Bianca Buitendag
- Italy with Leonardo Fioravanti
- Germany with Leon Glatzer
- Costa Rica with Brisa Hennessey, Leilani McGonagle and Carlos Munoz
- Japan with Kanoa Igarashi, Mahina Maeda and Hiroto Ohhara and Amuro Tsuzuki
- Israel with Anat Lelior
- Chile with Manuel Selman
- New Zealand with Billy Stairmand and Ella Williams
- Argentina with Leandro Usuna
- Indonesia with Rio Waida
Olympics surfing schedule
The very first Olympic surfing event took place on Sunday 25th July 2021. That was the men's and women's rounds 1 and 2.
Advert
The third rounds took place on Monday 26th July 2021 and the fourth rounds took place on Tuesday 27th July from 7am local time.
Olympics surfing results
Australia's Owen Wright took home the men's bronze medal and Amuro Tsuzuki from Japan won the women's bronze.
Brazil's Italo Ferreira and the USA's Carissa Moore are the first ever gold medalists for Olympic surfing. Brazil beat Japan for the men's gold medal while the USA defeated South Africa for the women's gold.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Surfing, Tokyo Olympics