China ranks 20th at 2022 ISA World Surfing Games

The Chinese surfing team ranked 20th at the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games, which ended on Friday at Huntington Beach, United States.

"It's beyond my expectation," said team leader Zhou Changcheng. "We finished 27th in the 2019 edition. This time our young surfer Yang Siqi entered the women's fifth round of the Repechage and ranked 29th at last, which is big progress."

The Chinese team has trained abroad since May.

Kirra Pinkerton of the United States claimed a gold medal and confirmed an Olympic slot for one woman from Team USA. Kanoa Igarashi of Japan, the runner-up at the Tokyo Olympic Games, won the men's gold medal and guaranteed Japan an Olympic slot for a male surfer.

Pinkerton also took Team USA to the top of the podium in the overall team rankings, the first time the USA has won the team's gold medal since 2009.