TOKYO - Five years after clinching Olympic silver on home waves, Japanese surfer Kanoa Igarashi is chasing a victory at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games that would also secure his place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"I really want to win the Asian Games and earn an Olympic spot," said Igarashi, who is aiming to qualify for his third straight Summer Games.
The 28-year-old, a mainstay of the Championship Tour, the top tier of professional surfing, will compete in Japan for the first time since the Tokyo Games in 2021.
"Just being able to surf in front of Japanese fans makes me happy," he said.
The Californian-born surfer said he had known the waves at the Los Angeles Olympic venue since childhood.
He also said representing Japan helped him reconnect with his roots, and that he has recently been studying samurai philosophy through Miyamoto Musashi's classic work, "The Book of Five Rings."
The surfing competition at the Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 games will be held in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, where Igarashi represented Japan at the World Surfing Games in 2018.
The break's slower waves require a high level of technique to produce dynamic, high-scoring rides, according to Igarashi. "If I surf my way, I can stand out," he said.
Despite being one of the favorites for Asian Games gold, Igarashi said he does not feel burdened by expectations.
He predicts strong challenges from rivals including fellow Japanese surfer Connor O'Leary and Indonesia's Rio Waida. "I believe it will definitely lead to the Olympics," he said.
