Kanoa Igarashi talks about his Olympic silver medal and the pride he felt representing Japan

Silver medalist Kanoa Igarashi described his feeling about getting to represent Japan in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are over and most of the athletes who competed for their countries are headed home. That is not the case for Olympic surfers. Their season is still in full swing and the next event is being held right now in Barra de la Cruz Mexico.

One man who is riding high from his first Olympic appearance in silver medalist Kanoa Igarashi. Igarashi had the honor of representing Japan in the Olympic Games. He spoke to FanSided about his experience in Tokyo.

“I think nobody really knew what to expect,” Igarashi said. “You know, for myself, I felt like, I really was able to focus on myself and focus on the job I had in front of me, because at the end of the day, that’s all we can really control. Obviously, everyone has their own challenges and battles, but I definitely had my own with the pressure and all that going into it. Just trying to deal with all the noise around and trying to focus on obviously the job at hand. So I got pretty caught up in that. And it really helped me kind of lock myself in myself. But the experience was incredible. It was nothing like I’ve ever experienced, it was so different than what we’re used to, and just a pleasure and honor to be around those amazing athletes around the world. It was definitely a privilege, and something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”

Igarashi was representing Japan and able to compete in front of the home crowd, even though no fans were in attendance was something very special for him. Not only was this Igarashi’s first Olympic appearance, but it was the first time surfing as a sport was included in the Olympic games.

“Obviously, being able to walk away with metal is super special, and to be able to represent not only my country but my sport as well,” Igarashi said. “It was definitely an honor it was cool. I mean, I actually had an extra set of eyes on us, not just for surfing, but in every sport. And, you know, for me as jumping around trying to feed off that energy from the fans nearby and from the energy around Tokyo in Japan.”

On Igarashi will joining the rest of the WSL CT surfers as they look to gain more points in Mexico. The location at Barra de la Cruz is one that is a bit unfamiliar to the athletes. This Mexican surf break has not been a part of the tour since 2006. The question was how will the athletes adjust to this unknown wave.

“I think a lot of people feel the same way,” Igarashi said. ” We were so used to adopting and inserting different kinds of motions positions. Different venues, it’s kind of an even playing field for everyone being a new event, but then saying that it’s such a high quality wave, and we have to find a way to get ready. I think everyone can adapt real quick. So I think that’s not too much of a problem.”

The Corona Open Mexico is going on right now and can be seen on the WSL app or on WSL on YouTube.