Bet on a glorious return for World Champion Pip Toledo!
In a move that may shock surfers and BeachGrit readers, bookmakers have backed world champion Filipe Toledo Tehpu is one of the six favorites to win an Olympic gold medal.
Toledo, a 29-year-old father of two and holder of two world titles, He had a long and difficult relationship with the Tahitian left-hander. I also bought 0 tubes in a 5% off campaign. Remember a month ago? The king of surfing journalism, Surfline’s Nick Carroll himself, has publicly stated that Filipe Toledo should give his Olympic spot to Italo Ferreira.
“Italo…he came from poverty to win a world title, won surfing’s first Olympic Games, fought fitness and disillusionment, then won his best competition since that title at Pipe. Vahine is now the heavy favorite to win at what is almost her home break with the Olympics looming. Maybe Filipe should let Italo take the reins.”
Bookmakers apparently don’t think so, predicting Filipe Toledo, who has not competed since withdrawing from February’s Pipeline event after a humiliating first-round defeat and relegation to the repechage, to finish at least in the top six.
Toledo later withdrew from the event, citing an unspecified “illness,” and subsequently from the tour.
Other surprises include Australia’s Ethan Ewing as a dark horse with 34-1, Joao Chianca with 29-1, Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi with 46-1 and Germany’s Tim Oerter as a wild horse with 126-1.
As for the women, there are no surprises.
A smart bet?
Well, there isn’t any, but if you’ve got money to lose, throw a C-note at Ethan and Katie’s win.
The surfing events at the Paris 2024 Olympics are scheduled to take place in Teahupo’u, Tahiti from 27 July to 4 August 2024.
Here’s how the contest works:
Round 1:
Eight heats with three surfers.
The winner of each heat will advance directly to the third round.
The remaining two surfers advance to the second round.
Round 2:
Eight heats with two surfers each.
The winners of each heat will advance to the third round.
Round 3:
Sixteen surfers will compete in eight heats of two each.
The winners of each heat will advance to the quarterfinals.
Quarter finals:
Eight surfers will compete in four heats of two each.
The winners of each heat will advance to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals:
Four surfers will compete in two heats of two each.
The winner of each heat will advance to the gold medal match, while the losers will compete in the bronze medal match.
Final game:
Two surfers compete for the gold medal.
Two surfers compete for the bronze medal.
Paris 2024 Women’s Surfing Qualifiers
Heat 1: Yolanda Hopkins (POR), Caroline Marks (USA), Sarah Baum (RSA)
Heat 2: Sol Aguirre (PER), Janile Echavarri (ESP), Vahine Fierro (FRA)
Heat 3: Anat Lelior (ISR), Sanoa Denfur-Olin (CAN), Tyler Wright (AUS)
Heat 4: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Molly Pickrum (AU), Caitlin Simmers (USA)
Heat 5: Yohanne Defay (FRA), Brisa Hennessy (CRC), Candelaria Ressano (NCA)
Heat 6: Taina Hinkel (BRA), Camilla Kemp (GER), Luana Silva (BRA)
Heat 7: Nadia Erostalbe (ESP), Shiqi Yang (CHN), Safi Bett (NZL)
Heat 8: Carissa Moore (USA), Teresa Bomvalo (Portugal), Shino Matsuda (Japan)
Paris 2024 Men’s Surfing Qualifiers
Heat 1: Ethan Ewing (Australia), Tim Elter (Germany), Jordy Smith (South Africa)
Heat 2: Joan Duru (France), Jack Robinson (Australia), Matthew McGillivray (South Africa)
Heat 3: Alonso Correa (PER), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Conor O’Leary (JPN), Brian Perez (ESA)
Heat 5: Ramzi Boukiam (MAR), Billy Stearman (NZL), Joao Chianca (BRA)
Heat 6: Andy Criere (ESP), John John Florence (USA), Alan Cleland (MAR)
Heat 7: Kauli Vaast (France), Lucca Mesinas (Peru), Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Heat 8: Rio Waida (INA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Reo Inaba (JPN)