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The coach of the US Olympic surfing team at Teahupoo was very confident about the task: “It’s a bit strange to say, but I feel like I’m uniquely qualified for the task. I’ve been coming to Teahupoo every year for three decades and I spend a lot of time there in a competition jersey and I make it to the finals.”

“While this part may not be as important to me, it is to the athlete. He really trusts that I have been in his shoes here, in high pressure situations with a competition jersey and I have done it successfully,” he added in an interview with Surfline.

The Hawaiian had already been announced as coach of John John, Griffin, Carissa, Caity and Caroline; in this note he said that he feels that he was asked by the athletes for the task.

He specified that each of the athletes' coaches will have their own space to coordinate with him as well as to do one-on-one work with the athletes.

Among other opinions expressed, he said that if the sea is as powerful as in the CT, it will be the same names that will go far, ignoring the non-CT ones.

Although referring to these, he said: “As far as competing against new faces, those situations can be interesting. It depends on the athlete. Some athletes care about that and want to know how to approach the series depending on their opponent and how they will approach it.”