Cape Town - In a crushing turn of events, professional surfer and athlete Jordy Smith has pulled out of the upcoming Summer Olympic Games at the last minute.
The news comes in the wake of a nagging knee injury the Durban-born surfer has been dealing with since the Australian leg of World Surf League (WSL).
In recent competitions, Smith has kept up world-class performances despite flare-ups but ultimately opted to undergo surgery on his left knee in an attempt to fix the issue six weeks before the Tokyo Games were set to begin. The healing process needed more time than he’d hoped, and he had to prioritise his body and rather not risk further impact on his career.
This decision comes as a particularly difficult pill to swallow for Smith, as he was set to cement himself in history as one of the first surfers to represent South Africa at the Olympics. Surfing is being featured in the Games for the first time.
“It was tough to make the decision to withdraw,” Smith said. “I’ve been looking forward to the Olympics for a long time now and my build-up was going so well. However, this decision is the only way to ensure I have a long career in professional surfing and reach my ultimate goal of winning the WSL Championship Tour.”
Smith, arguably one of the biggest names in surfing around the world, has continuously set the pace for the country’s standard.
He also shared words of encouragement and support for the rest of the team representing South Africa.
“Rest assured, I’ll be there for the next one,” he added.
Bianca Buitendag, 27, from the surfing spot Victoria Bay, near George, will still compete after she qualified for the Games set for July 23 to August 8.
Buitendag has been competing on the WSL Championship Tour from 2013 to 2019 as South Africa’s top female surfer. In 2019, she was the captain of the South African team at the International Surfing Association 2019 World Championships where she finished third, and subsequently qualified for the Olympic Games.
Out of the water, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting Management attained at the North-Eastern University in Boston in the US.
Cape Times