Two-time World Champion John John Florence and Kolohe Andino are back in the water a month out from the start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Florence had surgery on his left knee after injuring it at the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona, and there has been some speculation about whether or not he'd be ready to represent the United States in surfing's debut on sport's biggest stage.
He went straight under the surgeon's knife after the injury -- yet another setback after previous injuries to his right knee that saw him sit out much of the 2018 and 2019 Championship Tour seasons before coming back at Pipeline to lock in his Olympic qualification.
"It's not the same knee I dealt with last year, so that's good, but with the Olympics coming up this summer I'm going to focus on healing up and getting strong," Florence told the WSL back in May when the injury occurred.
Florence has been posting regular updates on his knee rehab, with the latest noting that he's back in the water. While there's no official word on whether he will compete in Tokyo, you can only assume he intends to do everything possible to add a gold medal to his trophy cabinet.
The other member of the men's USA surfing team, Andino, also recently had surgery to fix a persistent ankle complaint, putting the spotlight squarely on the team's Alternate, 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater.
However Andino is also back surfing, taking part in a Team USA expression session event today at Lower Trestles. Those present said that while he was keeping his surfing on the face of the wave, he wasn't noticeably holding back -- another good sign for Team USA as we count down to the Opening Ceremony in Tokyo.
Florence, Andino Back In The Water A Month Out From The Olympics
Ben Collins
Two-time World Champion John John Florence and Kolohe Andino are back in the water a month out from the start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Florence had surgery on his left knee after injuring it at the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona, and there has been some speculation about whether or not he'd be ready to represent the United States in surfing's debut on sport's biggest stage.
He went straight under the surgeon's knife after the injury -- yet another setback after previous injuries to his right knee that saw him sit out much of the 2018 and 2019 Championship Tour seasons before coming back at Pipeline to lock in his Olympic qualification.
"It's not the same knee I dealt with last year, so that's good, but with the Olympics coming up this summer I'm going to focus on healing up and getting strong," Florence told the WSL back in May when the injury occurred.
Florence has been posting regular updates on his knee rehab, with the latest noting that he's back in the water. While there's no official word on whether he will compete in Tokyo, you can only assume he intends to do everything possible to add a gold medal to his trophy cabinet.
The other member of the men's USA surfing team, Andino, also recently had surgery to fix a persistent ankle complaint, putting the spotlight squarely on the team's Alternate, 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater.
However Andino is also back surfing, taking part in a Team USA expression session event today at Lower Trestles. Those present said that while he was keeping his surfing on the face of the wave, he wasn't noticeably holding back -- another good sign for Team USA as we count down to the Opening Ceremony in Tokyo.
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