“Let’s Go Get This F***ing Medal”: First Italian to Win ISA Under-18 World Title Makes a Vow After Qualifying for Surfing at Paris Olympics

The Corona Open J-Bay 2023 brought good things for Leonardo Fioravanti. The prodigal son of Italy will be representing his country in surfing at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. The 25-year-old will be fulfilling a lifelong dream. The great news comes after he provisionally qualified through the World Surf League Championship Tour. He grabbed one of the 18 spots available for surfers to qualify through the WSL CT. After his participation in the Tokyo Olympics, this is the second time he will be representing Italy.

The chance to represent his country on the most prestigious global stage has not come without challenges. Fioravanti has overcome several adversities throughout his journey, such as his extensive back injury. However, his recent 9th place finish during the Corona Open J-Bay has rewarded his struggles and ensured a spot for him in Paris. This achievement has been proudly announced by the surfer on his social media, and he is pumped to go.

Surfing at the Olympics gets its latest Italian representative

Leonardo Fioravanti has been lighting up the world stage with his surfing prowess since a pretty young age. And now, he has achieved a childhood dream, an achievement that has left him completely stoked. The 25-year-old Italian could not hold in his excitement while sharing the news on Instagram. Posting a picture of himself with the iconic Olympics logo and the words “Parigi 2024″, Leonardo Fioravanti made a vow.

In the caption to the post, he said, “Officially qualified for the PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS in Tahiti! It will be a pride to represent my country for the second time at the Olympics!” Fioravanti has made no qualms about his dream to reach the world stage, a dream he has been working towards since the beginning of the year. While sharing his thoughts, the first Italian to win an ISA under-18 World Title recognized the fact that “The road to Paris is long and this is just the beginning.” He also thanked his sponsors and his family and friends. After expressing his gratitude for his supporters, Fioravanti also made a vow for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

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He wrote, “LET’S GO GET THIS F***ING MEDAL” and added “ALWAYS PROUD TO BE ITALIAN”. It has indeed been a proud moment for Leonardo, who has faced several difficulties in his climb to the professional tiers of surfing. In 2015, the surfer injured his back vertebrae in a gruesome manner. However, he returned the next year and claimed an impressive victory after defeating the surfing legend Kelly Slater at the 2016 Margaret River Pro. His journey to the Olympics has been a culmination of many such profound victories.

A decorated road that leads to the Games

According to a World Surf League press release, Leonardo Fioravanti was ridiculously happy at reaching his goal. He said, “Being an Olympic athlete is a dream come true. It’s a dream to have another chance to represent my country at the next Olympics and hopefully I can bring a medal home.” This wish might just become true for this Italian fighter, and a fighter he is. While Fioravanti fell off the Championship Tour in 2022, he made a strong comeback in 2023.

He kicked off the 2023 season with a second-place finish at the Billabong Pro Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii. After qualifying through the WSL CT, the first tier of Olympic qualification, Fioravanti is excited to see what surfing at the Paris Games will entail, especially because the event will be held at a special location. As he said, “I think to have Teahupo’o as the surfing venue is crazy, it’s going to blow everyone’s minds.” After his recent performance, it will be exciting to see what he can bring to the table riding the waves at Teahupo’o.

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