Tokyo Olympics: Surfing’s draw released and who the Australians face
The draw has been released for surfing's debut at the Olympics and there’s good and bad news for the Australian team.
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Australians surfers have avoided first-up clashes with any of the world champions in the field for their sports Olympic debut - except one.
Lennox Head surfer Owen Wright finds himself facing off against American John John Florence, the two-time champion from Hawaii on the comeback from knee surgery, in his opening heat of the surfing competition.
The pair have been drawn against Chilean Manuel Selman and Moroccan Ramzi Boukhiam with the top two advancing into round three and the bottom into an elimination battle.
Newcastle’s Julian Wilson also has a top American to battle, drawn against Kolohe Andino, along with Peru’s Lucca Mesinas and New Zealander Billy Stairmand.
But at least the men have managed to avoid Brazilian favourites and world champions Italo Ferreira and Gabriel Medina.
Our women look to have a smoother path to the next round thanks to their higher rankings on the world championships tour.
Sally Fitzgibbons, from the NSW south coast town of Gerroa, has an interesting task with the home favourites in her draw in multiple junior world champion Mahina Maeda.
But likely to cause bigger issues is Brisa Hennessy, a youngster raised in the Costa Rican jungle before moving to Hawaii in her teens and known for a propensity to upset big name rivals.
Also in the heat is the experienced Bianca Buitendag from South Africa.
Seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore from Kinscliffe, is up against world tour veterans Silvana Lima from Brazil and France’s Pauline Ado along with Israeli surfer Anat Lelior.
Winners advance into round three while the two losers with fight for survival in five-surfer heats in round two.
The winner of the third round heat will secure a spot in the quarter-finals with the losers eliminated.
A six-round format will whittle the starting field of 10 men and 20 women down until just four will battle for the three medals on offer.
Surfing is slated to begin on July 25 but there is wiggle room to the schedule if surf conditions are unsuitable on certain days.
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