It was a great day for Carissa Moore and Hawaii surfing.
The world’s top-ranked women’s surfer from Honolulu qualified for the 2020 Olympics by clinching one of the top two spots on the final 2019 World Surf League rankings.
Caroline Marks of Melbourne Beach, Fla., took the other spot. Nations can enter two men and two women surfers into the Tokyo Games.
Lakey Peterson of Santa Barbara, Calif., was also in the running for a women’s spot, but was eliminated when she failed to make the quarterfinals of the Lululemon Maui Pro on Sunday at Honolua Bay.
Both Moore and Marks made the quarters. Moore can win a fourth world title when the season-ending contest on Maui continues, depending on how well she does from the quarterfinals through the final. That could be today, conditions permitting. Marks is the only one who can prevent Moore from taking the 2019 crown.
“I am honored to be going to the Olympics next year and representing the U.S.,” Moore said. “I haven’t even let myself dream about it because I wanted to make it and then finally dream about it. I am excited to go home and celebrate with my family. More work to do tomorrow for finals day but overall I am so grateful and happy.”
In the men’s quest for U.S. Olympic spots, fifth-ranked Kolohe Andino of San Clemente, Calif., is in. The second spot will either be No. 8 John John Florence of Haleiwa, a two-time world champion, or No. 10 Kelly Slater, who is an 11-time world champ, and it will be decided at the Billabong Pipe Masters (Dec. 8-20), the WSL’s season-ending men’s event.
Vans World Cup reaches fourth round
Slater won his third-round heat in the Vans World Cup (which does not have a bearing on Olympic qualification) in unruly conditions Sunday at Sunset Beach to advance to the fourth round.
Hawaii’s Ezekiel Lau and Seth Moniz also won their heats to move forward in the contest, which is the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Hawaii’s Cody Young placed second in his heat to also advance. Eight Hawaii athletes were eliminated in the third round.
