Special coverage presented by Surf City - El Salvador Travel - Cover photo: ISA/Evans

Kiwi Paige Hareb, who two years ago here in El Salvador fell two places short of qualifying for Tokyo 2020, took an important step towards her Olympic debut in Paris 2024.

Having advanced to round 4 of the main event, the worst you can be placed is 25, that is, within the quality control ranking that indicates that to go to Paris you must be top 30 in these Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games.

What works in Hareb's favour is that all of her competitors, surfers from Oceania, are behind in the repechage and some have already lost. It is important to remember that the best athlete eligible from the regions of Oceania, Africa, Asia and Europe qualifies for this tournament.

Now, if the Kiwi sees the early elimination of her compatriots Saffi Vette, Pia Rogers and the Samoan Seva Jarrad, she will be qualified for Paris 2024.

In a similar situation is Hareb's compatriot, Billy Stairmand, who also qualified for round 4 of the main event and if he loses everything and places third in his repechage heat, he would finish 25th in the event (within the quality control).

But Stairmand has a tougher fight from his opponents Kehu Butler and Dune Kennings who have shown a strong level although they are already in the repechage. The first in round 4 and the second in round 2.

The good news for the Kiwis is that their rivals from other Oceanian countries in the competition, American Samoa and Guam, only have three competitors left.