IOC Executive Board Approves Updated Surfing Qualification System for LA28 Olympic Games

Following a recommendation by the International Surfing Association (ISA), and consultations with the surf community, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board approved an update to the qualification system for Surfing in the LA28 Olympic Games.

Qualification Pathways

The qualification system provides athletes with three pathways to qualify.

• World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour
• ISA World Surfing Games
• Continental Games and Championships*

* Continental qualification slots for Africa and Oceania, will be awarded through the 2027 ISA World Surfing Games to the highest-ranked eligible athletes from each continent.

Only the Host Nation (USA) and Universality Slots will be allocated outside of these qualification pathways.

Key Updates

The final qualification system reflects a wide consultation throughout the surfing community and a deliberate balance between recognizing the world’s top-performing surfers and maintaining the Olympic principle of universality.

As a result, the number of direct qualification slots available through the WSL Championship Tour increased from 5 to 8. To maintain balance across the three above qualification pathways and uphold the principle of universality, the maximum number of athletes per nation was reduced from 3 to 2. Teams could exceptionally win a third slot through team qualification slots earned at the ISA World Surfing Games in 2026 and 2027.

The slots for WSL athletes will be awarded to the top 8 ranked athletes per gender, on the Championship Tour between August 15, 2027 and June 15, 2028.

WSL Championship Tour athletes seeking Olympic qualification through the respective year’s ISA World Surfing Games will be seeded directly into Round 3 of competition.

Access the Full Qualification System

The approved Qualification System is now available on the ISA website.
Corresponding competition format updates to the ISA World Surfing Games will be reflected in the ISA Rulebook.