Tokyo (AFP)

Powerful and aerial figures sublimated by the waves, a rather relaxing atmosphere linked to the captivating natural element that is the ocean: surfing plays its very first Olympic score, from Sunday at Tsurigasaki Beach, where the Blues Johanne Defay and Jérémy Flores have every intention of going down in history.

It is about a hundred kilometers to the far east of Tokyo that twenty surfers among the best on the planet are going for the first time in search of an Olympic medal.

The professional worlds (private circuit of the World Surf League) and amateur (International Surfing Federation) have agreed to offer a very beautiful show by allowing the elite to participate in the Tokyo Olympics - where the discipline is an additional sport - in renouncing the principle of an artificial basin to favor a natural site.

In the ranks, Johanne Defay, No. 2 on the pro world tour (CT), serves as the favorite, strong from her victory at the world stage in Leemore (California) Surf Ranch in June and her place as finalist at Rottnest Island (Australia) in May.

"It's still really surreal, I'm super happy that it happened one month before the Games, I chained two finals which had never happened to me in my career, it's still a new step", said delighted with AFP the 27-year-old Reunion.

- Defay and Flores pretenders -

"Glad to have arrived there", in Japan, as she explained in a press conference Thursday, Defay "dreams of a medal".

"We all want to write our story," she said, adding that "everyone is waiting for this first experience".

"What people are going to find out is that if we're so addicted it's because we never have the same conditions, we are always looking for those perfect waves. We always have these big discussions. before the competition: 'so you saw the forecast' ", said the surfer impatiently.

The weather is the essential factor that will influence the length of the races.

The competition must take place over four days with duels in the first three rounds - one of which is devoted to repechage - and the final phase (quarter, semi and final).

But if the waves are not there, four more days are on the program.

The Olympic champion will be crowned no later than August 1.

# photo1

Jérémy Flores, present on the world circuit for several years, can claim victory.

"It's all new for us, it's going to be a completely different atmosphere, we're not used to this format too, it's going to be a good experience, we never really believed to participate in the Olympics as a surfer ", said to AFP the 33-year-old Reunion, now living in Tahiti and who lives as a bonus the Olympic celebration while he is at the end of his career.

# photo2

- Brazil in force -

The most complicated for him will be to handle the waves of Tsurigasaki Beach, usually quite small at this time of the year, which implies for the surfer to generate power and speed to perform his tricks.

But good news, a typhoon off the coast must generate swells on Sunday.

Something to delight the French team, which in addition to Defay and Flores, is made up of Michel Bourez, also playing on the CT, and Pauline Ado.

The Blues will have a lot to do with the Brazilians, who have been breaking into world surfing for a few years.

The top three surfers in the world rankings come from Brazil;

two of them are in contention in Tokyo: Gabriel Medina (current N.1) and Italo Ferreira (N.2).

# photo3

It will also be necessary to count on the Americans Kolohe Andino and John John Florence, who had stolen the two Olympic tickets to the superstar of the discipline, Kelly Slater, eleven times world champion, and who had to put aside the Olympics.

# photo4

For the ladies, the Hawaiian Carissa Moore dominates the scene, in front of her playmate, Johanne Defay.

© 2021 AFP