Jordy Smith Pulls Out Of The Tokyo Olympic Games

Jordy Smith recently took to Instagram to announce that he will not be competing in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. 

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The current World #7 has been dealing with a nagging injury since last year, and it was getting progressively worse during this year’s elongated Australia leg. After returning home to South Africa to sort visa issues, Jordy got a new scan and elected to get LCL surgery.

Jordy wasn’t surfing’s only Olympian spending an extended amount of time on what would presumably be a sleekly designed couch (they’re too rich to fuck with Ikea). John Florence and Kolohe Andino have also been in the rapid rehabilitation program, and both of them are now back in the water. Jordy, on the other hand, just announced that he will be pulling out of this year’s Games. His Instagram post reads:

Ever since I can remember I have loved watching the Olympics. When surfing got into the games, and then to qualify was a dream come true. So it is with a heavy heart that today I have withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Tokyo. After a few weeks of sleepless nights I needed to face the reality that unfortunately my knee won’t be ready in time to compete at the highest level I need to win gold or medal. I plan on surfing at the highest level for many years to come and unfortunately waiting to do the surgery until after the Games was going to further jeopardize any chance of 100% recovery and potentially do further damage. 

The news is rather unfortunate, and we can’t imagine how hard it was for Jordy to accept the circumstances. Given the curious alternate plan in place, his spot will be awarded to Leo Fioravanti, who will be representing Italy.

Jordy is still hopeful for the next Olympics, though. 

“I’ll be back, stronger, faster than ever before that I promise you Paris 2024 is just around the corner,” Jordy added.