When the International Surfing Association (ISA) released the updated qualification system for the LA 2028 Olympics, Molly Picklum was among the elite surfers who voiced their disapproval.
“So disrespectful to the world’s best surfers,” Picklum, the reigning world champion, commented on the ISA’s Instagram announcement.
The negative sentiment was echoed by other Championship Tour surfers like Yago Dora, Filipe Toledo, Caity Simmers, Lakey Peterson, Leo Fioravanti, Luana Silva, Erin Brooks, Joao Chianca, Tyler Wright, and Tya Zebrowski. WSL CEO Ryan Crosby also expressed his disappointment in the system, which reduced the number of surfers who directly qualify from the CT from 18 (10 men and 8 women) to 10 (five men and five women).
Now, in a recent interview with News.com.au, Picklum reaffirmed her feelings towards the new qualification criteria. She stressed that there should be a more straightforward Olympic path for CT surfers, arguing that they’ve already proven themselves.
“The main noise around that is just because the Olympics, it’s about the best athletes in the world going for gold,” Picklum told News.com.au. “It is about fairness and integrity and all of those great things and inclusivity of all the countries around the world.”
“WSL and the surfing world is all decided on our platform and we have the stage of the world’s best surfers, so to only take a handful from that, it just feels like it’s been shoved in our face a little bit,” she added. “We’ve fought so hard and done so much time to try and get ourselves in a position to be recognized as the world’s best surfers and then to not be is tough.”
Picklum, however, acknowledged that it doesn’t exclude the CT surfers from the Olympics. They just need to earn their slots via a new pathway.
“Nonetheless you still control your fate in your hands in that way,” Picklum said. “You’re still allowed to go in the competition to qualify for the Olympics. It’s not like they’ve just ruled us out. If you want the medal…where there’s a will, there’s a way. I think, (that’s) the attitude you got to take to the new format that ISA has created to qualify for the Olympics.”
The first qualification events will take place this year at the ISA World Surfing Games, the dates and location of which have not yet been announced, and then the 2026 Asian Games in Japan in September.
