Australian-born surfer Connor O'Leary said on Wednesday he had been selected for the Japan team for the Paris 2024 Olympics, after officially switching his allegiance to the country of his mother's birth last year.
O'Leary, who was raised in the south Sydney suburb of Cronulla, was granted a third men's spot by the Nippon Surfing Association after the team secured an extra slot for winning a qualification event at Huntington Beach in 2022. Most teams are limited to two surfers of each gender for the Olympics.
"So excited to officially announce that I will be representing Japan at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Thank you to the NSA & the JOC for the incredible opportunity. Tahiti here we come," O'Leary said on Instagram.