Sanoa Dempfle-Olin announced as Canada's first-ever Olympic surfer ahead of Paris 2024
The 18-year-old won a silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Games.
CSA Surf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced on Monday that Sanoa Dempfle-Olin will be the country’s first-ever surfing athlete to compete at the Olympic Games. Dempfle-Olin was named to the Paris 2024 team ahead of this summer’s games, which will see the 18-year-old from Tofino, British Columbia compete in the women’s shortboard event.
Surfing made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, but Canada did not qualify any athletes.
Dempfle-Olin won the women’s shortboard silver medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, and provisionally qualified for the Olympics by reaching the final of that competition. Her ticket to the Olympics was confirmed at the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico, where she finished 13th in the women’s event.
Two months before the Pan Am Games, she won her first World Surf League Qualifying Series event, the WRV Outer Banks Pro in North Carolina, and in January claimed her first WSL Pro Junior win at the SLO CAL Open at Pismo Beach, California.
Dempfle-Olin’s older sister, Mathea, won a bronze medal in women’s longboard at the 2019 Pan American Games, but that event is not on the Olympic programme.
“I feel so proud to be the first Canadian to qualify for surfing in the Olympics,” said Dempfle-Olin in a press release. “Being born and raised in Tofino, B.C and learning to surf in the North Pacific waters off of Vancouver Island has been so special.
“Being in the Olympics is a dream coming true and it’s an honour to represent myself, my family, my community and our island and all it’s given me along with all the local surfers who helped pave this path, as well as those that will follow in my footsteps. I feel so grateful for the opportunity.”
Surfing events at Paris 2024 will take place in Teahupo’o, Tahiti — an overseas French territory about 15,800 km away from the French capital. Surfing is on the Olympic calendar from July 27-30, with contingency days set for July 31-August 4 in case of poor weather conditions.
Teahupo’o is a renowned surfing location, and for over two decades has hosted the Tahiti Pro, a major competition on the World Surf League calendar.
“I am so delighted for Sanoa who will be the first-ever Canadian surfer to compete at the Olympic Games,” said Canada’s chef de mission Bruny Surin in a press release. “This cold-water athlete will undoubtedly warm Canadians’ hearts as she surfs the legendary Teahupo’o waves with power, speed and flow.
“I have no doubt that she will inspire the next generation to follow their dreams, wherever the waves take them.”
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