Surfing Australia has officially announced the names of the surfers who will be representing Australia in the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) revealed that Tyler Wright, Molly Picklum, Jack Robinson, and Ethan Ewing have successfully qualified for the Games.
These four accomplished surfers each secured their place by finishing in the top five of the World Surf League (WSL) season rankings for 2023. They further demonstrated their abilities in the Australian campaign at the 2024 World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico.
The team boasts an impressive record of global success. Wright is a two-time World Champion, and Picklum has won two Championship Tour (CT) events. Robinson has seven CT event victories under his belt, including a win last year at the Olympic venue in Tahiti and at last month’s Margaret River Pro. Ewing, a two-time CT event winner, finished last year’s WSL in second place overall.
Surfing was first introduced to the Olympic program at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where Owen Wright won the bronze medal for Australia. The sport will also feature in the Paris 2024 Olympics, taking place at Teahupo’o in Tahiti.
The decision to host the surfing event at Teahupo’o marks a historic first for the Olympics. This will be the furthest distance an Olympic event has ever been held from the host city, with Tahiti being around 100 kilometres further from Paris than Melbourne is from Stockholm, which held the 1956 Olympic equestrian events due to quarantine challenges.
Surfing Australia’s High Performance Director, Kate Wilcomes, expressed her excitement over the team selection. She praised Tyler, Molly, Jack, and Ethan as incredibly talented athletes and stated that Surfing Australia is extremely proud to have them represent the country.
Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission, Anna Meares, congratulated the athletes on their selection to the team. She expressed her belief that surfing has been a fantastic addition to the Olympic program and has been warmly welcomed by the Olympic movement, athletes, and fans alike.
Tyler Wright, continuing the Wright family’s Olympic legacy, shared how surreal it was to see surfing included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She described Teahupo’o as a “massive wave of consequence” and spoke of the respect and humility surfers must bring to the challenge.
Molly Picklum, currently second on the WSL world rankings, acknowledged the honour of being selected for the Australian Olympic team. She spoke highly of her fellow team members, commending their skill in barrel riding and asserting that the team was worth watching.
Jack Robinson, who won the 2023 Tahiti Pro at Teahupo’o, expressed his pride in representing Australia. He described Teahupo’o as the world’s heaviest wave and stressed the importance of respecting the wave each time a surfer took to the water.
Ethan Ewing, who will be making his Olympic debut, said it was amazing to be officially selected for the Games. Ewing stated that representing Australia had been a huge goal of his since surfing was introduced to the Olympics.
