Smart money on the glorious return of world champ Pip Toledo!
In a move that may shock surfers, and within that subset readers of BeachGrit, bookmakers have cast world champ Filipe Toledo as one of the top six favourites for Olympic gold at Teahupoo.
Toledo, a twenty-nine-year-old daddy of two as well as the holder of two world crowns, has long had a difficult relationship with the Tahitian lefthander, as has this writer, five campaigns, zero tubes. You’ll recall, one month ago, when the king of surf journalists himself, Surfline’s Nick Carroll, openly declared that Filipe Toledo should give his Olympic spot to Italo Ferreira.
“Italo…he’s come from poverty to a world title, won the first surfing Olympics, battled with form and disillusionment, and just won the best contest since that title at Pipe. Vahine’s now full-on favorite for the approaching Games at what’s pretty much her homebreak. Maybe Filipe should give Italo his spot.”
The bookies clearly think otherwise and predict, at the very least, a top six finish for Filipe Toledo who hasn’t competed since withdrawing from the Pipeline event in February following his humiliating first round loss and relegation to the elimination round.
Toledo subsequently withdrew from the event, and later the tour, citing an unspecified “illness”.
In other surprises Australian Ethan Ewing is a very dark horse 34-1, Joao Chianca 29-1, Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi is 46-1 and Germany’s Tim Elter a wild ol 126-1.
In the gals, ain’t no surprises.
Smart bets?
Well, there ain’t such a thing, but if you’ve got money to lose, throw a c-note on Ethan and Caity for wins.
The Paris 2024 Olympic surfing competition at Teahupoo in Tahiti is scheduled to take place between July 27 and August 4, 2024.
Here’s how the contest works.
Round 1:
Eight heats of three surfers each.
The winner of each heat advances directly to Round 3.
The other two surfers move to Round 2.
Round 2:
Eight heats of two surfers.
The winner of each heat advances to Round 3.
Round 3:
Sixteen surfers compete in eight heats of two surfers each.
The winner of each heat advances to the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals:
Eight surfers compete in four heats of two surfers each.
The winner of each heat advances to the semifinals.
Semifinals:
Four surfers compete in two heats of two surfers each.
The winner of each heat advances to the gold medal match, and the losers compete in the bronze medal match.
Finals:
Two surfers compete in the gold medal match.
Two surfers compete in the bronze medal match.
WOMEN’S SURFING HEAT DRAW FOR PARIS 2024
Heat 1: Yolanda Hopkins (POR), Caroline Marks (USA), Sarah Baum (RSA)
Heat 2: Sol Aguirre (PER), Janire Etxabarri (ESP), Vahine Fierro (FRA)
Heat 3: Anat Lelior (ISR), Sanoa Dempfle-Olin (CAN), Tyler Wright (AUS)
Heat 4: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Molly Picklum (AUS), Caitlin Simmers (USA)
Heat 5: Johanne Defay (FRA), Brisa Hennessy (CRC), Candelaria Resano (NCA)
Heat 6: Tainá Hinckel (BRA), Camila Kemp (GER), Luana Silva (BRA)
Heat 7: Nadia Erostarbe (ESP), Siqi Yang (CHN), Saffi Vette (NZL)
Heat 8: Carissa Moore (USA), Teresa Bonvalot (POR), Matsuda Shino (JPN)
MEN’S SURFING HEAT DRAW FOR PARIS 2024
Heat 1: Ethan Ewing (AUS), Tim Elter (GER), Jordy Smith (RSA)
Heat 2: Joan Duru (FRA), Jack Robinson (AUS), Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
Heat 3: Alonso Correa (PER), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Connor O’Leary (JPN), Bryan Perez (ESA)
Heat 5: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR), Billy Stairmand (NZL), João Chianca (BRA)
Heat 6: Andy Criere (ESP), John John Florence (USA), Alan Cleland (MAR)
Heat 7: Kauli Vaast (FRA), Lucca Mesinas (PER), Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Heat 8: Rio Waida (INA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Inaba Reo (JPN)
