Hawaii’s John John Florence riding high as he gears up for the Summer Olympics
The Haleiwa native and two-time World Surf League champion has re-claimed his no. 1 ranking and is in the middle of a banner season. Hawaii surfer John John Florence, a two-time World Surf League champion and former Olympic and World Sur League champion, is currently preparing for the Summer Olympics. He has re-claimed his no. 1 ranking and is in the middle of a successful season, reaching four finals this year, including a victory at the El Salvador Pro. This is the first time in a while that he has been able to compete consistently without injury. The Olympics begin on July 26 with surfing scheduled for the first week of the games. The 2024 Olympics will mark Carissa Moore's final event before retiring from competition.
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Great athletes reach a point in their career where they are seemingly unstoppable — and right now, John John Florence is at the peak of his powers.
The Haleiwa native and two-time World Surf League champion has re-claimed his no. 1 ranking and is in the middle of a banner season, reaching four finals this year.
That includes a victory at this past weekend’s El Salvador Pro.
“From big, big conditions in Tahiti going left to a running, right hand point break in El Salvador and throwing down some of the best type performance moves we’ve seen all year,” WSL analyst Joe Turpel told Hawaii News Now Sports. “He’s at the top of his game and he’s much more powerful and much stronger than he was when he won those titles back then, too.
The 31-year-old is in a new season of life as he recently became a father and this is the first time in a while he’s been able to compete consistently without injury.
Everything coming together — just in time for the Olympics stage.
“Having both an Olympic and a world title year on his shoulders right now, a lot of people would be thinking it’s a good amount of pressure, but I think the opposite,” said WSL broadcaster Mitchell Salazar. “I think he’s freed up and ... he’s comfortable at it, too.”
And this year Hawaii surfers could be bringing home two gold medals.
The 2024 Olympics mark Carissa Moore’s final event before taking a break from competition.
The five-time world champion surfed at Teahupoo last month in the WSL Tahiti Pro.
She failed to advance past the quarterfinals, but with ample time to train, expect her to make a furious run at a podium finish.
“She looks strong,” Turpel said. “She’s picking the right wave. She’s learning the reef really well. For her, losing early at that event is only going to fire (her) up to defend her gold medal.”
The Olympics begin July 26 with surfing scheduled in the first week of the games.
المواضيع: Olympics