Which surfer won the first Olympic gold medal in men’s shortboard surfing?

Italo Ferreira won the first Olympic gold medal in men’s shortboard surfing at Tokyo 2020.

The Brazilian defeated Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi in the final at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach in Chiba. Ferreira’s powerful, high-energy approach helped him score strongly in the inaugural Olympic competition, making him the first male surfer listed as an Olympic champion.

The shortboard event used heats in which competitors selected waves and received scores from judges. Because ocean conditions change continuously, success depended not only on aerial maneuvers and turns but also on positioning, wave selection and adapting to the beach break.

Gabriel Medina, another Brazilian star, was a leading competitor but did not win that final. John John Florence represented the United States, while Igarashi won Japan’s first Olympic surfing medal with silver.