Italy’s Leo Fioravanti has been one of the most vocal CT surfers coming out against the new LA 2028 Olympic qualification system. Photo: Pablo Franco//ISA
When the International Surfing Association released the new qualification system for the LA 2028 Olympics, Leo Fioravanti quickly became one of the most vocal critics. In an Instagram comment section peppered with statements from many of the world’s top surfers, the Italian Championship Tour veteran’s comment received the most likes.
“This change that the ISA did, I don’t think it was purely out of the benefit of Olympic surfing. It wasn’t,” Fioravanti told The Inertia, referring to the amendments that reduce the number of surfers qualifying directly via the WSL Championship Tour (CT).
“I think it was purely out of the interest of the ISA to have more people compete in the ISA,” he added. “That is my opinion. I stand by it. That is the opinion of most of the best surfers in the world.”
Having qualified for the 2020 and 2024 Olympics via the CT, Fioravanti could be among those hardest hit by the new rules. He matched a career-best ninth-place finish in 2025; however, the new system reduces CT qualification slots from 10 to five and caps them at one slot per country. Taking the new rules into account, he wouldn’t have qualified with the 2025 rankings, but looking at the 2023 qualification season for Paris, he still would have qualified. To secure his spot for LA 2028, he must now maintain an elite CT ranking or earn a position through the World Surfing Games or European Surfing Championship.
Fioravanti first learned of the proposed changes in December during a WSL call with CT athletes. Although the surfers attempted to voice their concerns to the ISA in January, he claims the organization was evasive. He also noted that the IOC had reportedly not accepted the ISA’s initial proposals a few times for undisclosed reasons.
“We were always either put on hold or on standby,” said Fioravanti. “We had a time to do a call, but they kept moving it. They didn’t want to communicate with us until the proposal was approved.”
Fioravanti earned an equal 17th at the Paris 2024 Games. Photo: Beatriz Ryder//ISA
Fioravanti views the previous qualification system, which qualified 10 men and eight women from the CT, as fair. He acknowledges that it had a few flaws, such as CT surfers purposefully losing in the World Surfing Games if their qualification was already secured, and a lack of country diversity on the women’s CT that allowed four surfers to qualify before the 2023 season even started.
“We would have been totally happy to figure out a deal where we keep the qualification system the same, but we find a way to make (the CT surfers) give our best (in the ISA),” he said. “I personally never tried to lose on purpose, and I can tell you that with 100 percent honesty, I do like to compete in the ISA.”
Fioravanti, who earned an ISA junior gold medal in 2015, admires the ISA’s work in achieving Olympic inclusion. However, he wants the organization to understand why CT surfers resisted the requirement to compete in the World Surfing Games, especially those who had already secured their spots elsewhere.
“I respect so much what the ISA and Fernando have done,” said Fioravanti. “He’s worked his ass off for so many years to get surfing approved in the Olympics, and that is amazing.”
“But at the same time, if you can see it from a different perspective, why did those (CT) surfers have to compete in the ISA? Just to promote the ISA,” said Fioravanti. “If all the best surfers did actually compete, they would have taken away chances from surfers who were really trying to qualify for the Olympics.”
Fioravanti says he’s enjoyed flying the Italian flag at ISA events. Photo: Pablo Jimenez//ISA
Fioravanti has done his Olympic homework. He points to other Olympic sports, such as tennis and golf, that rely on the professional tour events for their qualification systems.
“We already have a very professional tour in place,” said Fioravanti. “I think comparing it to (golf and tennis) is fair. They don’t have to go and compete at another event just to qualify for the Olympics.”
Under the new system, the reduction in CT slots will make the World Surfing Games a priority for most elite surfers. Even those likely to secure one of the five CT spots will be incentivized to compete in the ISA event as a safeguard, since the CT surfers will be the last to qualify.
Despite the WSL’s calls for a “correction,” the current system appears set. If these rules are final, Fioravanti urges the ISA to improve qualification conditions. The World Surfing Games currently feature a grueling eight-to-nine-day schedule with short 20-minute heats. The nearly 300 surfers from 61 countries typically compete in sub-optimal conditions compared to the CT.
“Maybe they can find a way to extend the waiting period or get better conditions,” Fioravanti said. “I hope that in the future they try to figure out a way to make longer heats, better wave quality, maybe a longer waiting period, so that we can get more opportunity on the conditions side of things.”
Fioravanti supports the country diversity and growth of the sport, but thinks there needs to be a clearer pathway for the surfers who have proven themselves on the tour.
“The good thing about the new system is that it gives a lot of opportunity to many different countries,” he says. “That’s cool in that way, but I just don’t think it should take away the opportunity from the best surfers in the world.”
