Which surfer won the women’s shortboard gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games?

Carissa Moore won the women’s shortboard gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The Tokyo Games marked surfing’s first appearance in the Olympics. Although called Tokyo 2020, the competition was staged in 2021 because the Games were postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The surfing venue was Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach in Chiba, east of Tokyo.

Moore, representing the United States, defeated South Africa’s Bianca Buitendag in the women’s final. Japan’s Amuro Tsuzuki won the bronze medal. Moore’s victory added an Olympic title to a career that already included multiple World Surf League championships.

Olympic shortboard heats reward controlled, powerful surfing rather than simply the largest wave. Judges assess the quality of each ride, including critical turns, speed, flow, and the use of the wave’s most demanding sections. Moore’s win made her the first women’s Olympic surfing champion.