Young Surfing Champion Leihani Zoric Sets Sights on Olympic Gold

A new star has risen in the world of international surfing as 13-year-old Leihani Zoric joins Australia’s senior national team this week in Peru. The Yued surfer from Broken Head, New South Wales, is competing at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games, a critical qualification event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Zoric’s inclusion in the senior squad follows a record-breaking performance in September, where she became the youngest ever junior world champion. Despite being a year eight student, Zoric won the under-18 division after receiving a wildcard entry. Her victory marked a significant milestone for Indigenous representation in the sport, as she became Australia’s first Aboriginal world surfing champion. She has also previously secured two titles at the Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles and was recently named junior sportsperson of the year at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sports Awards. In Peru, Zoric is competing alongside her childhood idols, eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore and two-time World Surf League champion Tyler Wright. Speaking to The Guardian, Zoric expressed her excitement at the opportunity to test her skills against the world's best, stating that she backs her abilities and views the competition as a chance to prove she can perform at the highest level. The young prodigy has clear ambitions for the future, targeting a gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics when she will be 15. Zoric told The Guardian that her culture is a fundamental part of her identity, shaping both her personal character and her approach as an athlete. As the Australian team vies for additional Olympic spots, Zoric remains focused on the process of becoming the world’s number one surfer in the coming years.