Connor O'Leary (born 12 October 1993, in Cronulla, New South Wales) is an Australian-Japanese professional surfer.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 October 1993 Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| Surfing career | |
| Sport | Surfing |
| Best year | 2022 – Ranked No. 9 WSL CT World Tour |
| Sponsors |
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| Major achievements |
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| Surfing specifications | |
| Stance | Goofy |
Early life
editO’Leary was born in Cronulla, a suburb of Sydney, to an Irish-Australian father and a former Japanese surfing champion mother.[1]
Surfing career
editDespite a few wins during his junior career, O'Leary was not considered particularly promising.[citation needed] In 2015, he turned professional and competed in the World Surf League Qualifying Series (QS) for the first time, arriving in Hawaii inside the qualifying bubble, narrowly missing out on his place in the last two events. In 2016, he had a win in the Qualifying Series 10,000 in Ballito,[2] and other solid results led to him becoming the 2016 Qualifying Series champion.[3][4]
O'Leary made his CT debut in the 2017 season, reaching his first Championship Tour (CT) final at the Fiji Pro, losing to Australian Matt Wilkinson. He finished the season in 13th place and won the Rookie of the Year award.[5]
In the 2018 season, O'Leary did not perform as well and did not re-qualify for the 2019 Championship Tour. In the 2019 Qualifying Series, he finished ninth and qualified for the next year's CT. After the COVID-19 pandemic, O'Leary returned in the 2021 season but failed to reclassify. In the same year, he competed in the Challenger Series, won the Quiksilver Pro France stage,[6] finished fourth in the rankings and returned to the CT.[7]
O'Leary had the best season of his career on the CT in 2022, when he finished ninth in the rankings, remaining on the CT for the next season.
Change of nationality
editSince 2021, because of his Japanese ancestry, O'Leary had been wearing the Australian and Japanese flags on his wetsuit. In August 2023, he decided to represent Japan, a move approved by the International Surfing Association (ISA). The change guaranteed his Olympic qualification and he represented Japan at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.[8][9] He competed in the men's shortboard and made it as far as Round 3, where he was eliminated by Australian Ethan Ewing.
O'Leary finished the season on the CT in 16th place, re-qualifying for the next season.[10]
Career victories
edit| WCT Wins | |||
| Year | Event | Venue | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Corona Open J-Bay | Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cap |  South Africa |
| WSL Challenger Series Wins | |||
| Year | Event | Venue | Country |
| 2021 | Quiksilver Pro France | Hossegor, Nouvelle-Aquitaine |  France |
| WQS Wins | |||
| Year | Event | Venue | Country |
| 2019 | Vissla Central Coast Pro | Avoca Beach, New South Wales |  Australia |
| 2019 | Carve Pro | Maroubra, New South Wales | Australia |
| 2016 | Ballito Pro | Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal | South Africa |
| 2012 | Murasaki Quiksilver Jeju Open | Jeju, Jeju Island |  South Korea |
| Juniors Wins | |||
| Year | Event | Venue | Country |
| 2013 | Go Pro Junior | Ichinomiya, Chiba |  Japan |
References
edit- ↑ "Connor O'Leary - Pro Surfer". Promaster. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "QS No. 2 Connor O'Leary Hasn't Quit His Day Job (Yet)". World Surf League. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "2016 - O título QS de Connor O'Leary". Datasurfe. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "Introducing Connor O'Leary". Surfer. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "Connor O'Leary Wins 2017 Rookie of the Year Award". World Surf League. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "O'Leary, Hennessy Win 2021 CS In France, Challenger Series Showdown Heads To Hawaii". World Surf League. 23 October 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "2021 Ranking Challenger Series". World Surf League. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "Japan picks Australian-born Connor O'Leary for bonus 2024 Olympics surfing spot". The Guardian. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "Connor O'Leary: From "shy kid" who hid his heritage to "role model" for the next generation of Japan's surfers". Olympics. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "2024 Men's Championship Tour Ranking". World Surf League. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
External links
edit- Connor O'Leary at the World Surf League