Round 2 of surfing at the 2024 Olympic Games got underway in very different conditions than the opening phase of competition in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. While the surfing conditions on Day 1 were close to perfect, with clear skies and soaring swells, the do-or-die second round was greeted by howling wind, forcing surfers in many heats to adapt in order to keep their Olympic hopes alive.

Japan found the most success in the reef pass on Saturday, with all three of their surfers competing in the round cruising their way to victory, headlined by the bounceback performance of Tokyo silver medalist Kanoa Igarashi.

Here's what went down on Day 2 in the Pacific. 

WOMEN'S ROUND 2 RESULTS
MEN'S ROUND 2 RESULTS

Japan had four surfers qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games — three men and one woman — but Reo Inaba was the only member of the team able to come out on top of his heat in Round 1. As a result, his teammates all found themselves with their backs against the wall in win-or-go-home, one-on-one heats in Round 2.

Shino Matsuda was up first for Team Japan, paddling out for the third heat of the day. She was trailing for much of the heat and, with seven minutes remaining, needed at least a 4.74 to jump into the lead.

Matsuda held second priority, but her opponent chose not to pursue a looming wave, opening the door for the Japanese surfer. She charged hard and landed a late drop right into the pocket before turning into the barrel and disappearing in the tube for several seconds. She reappeared, popping out of the mouth of the wave just before it closed and celebrating as she turned back toward the takeoff zone. She knew she had just tallied the best single score of the day so far, soon hearing the loudspeakers announce a 7.67. As a result, Matsuda took firm control of first place and claimed her spot in the next round.

For the first heat of the men's competition later in the day, Kanoa Igarashi took his place in the takeoff zone. He only posted one score in Round 1, so he made sure to get off to a hot start in the loser-leaves-town matchup on Day 2. After he was unable to deliver a good barrel ride in the previous round, the Tokyo silver medalist dropped into a gem of wave for a late entry and rode deep in the barrel, getting lost from sight before being spit out by the foam ball for a clean exit and great early wave score of 7.17.

He continued to roll in the opening heat, hitting another solid tube with ten minutes remaining, including popping off the top of the swell to land an aerial 360 after emerging from the barrel. That wave would drop as a 6.00 and really put the pressure on Leonardo Fioravanti, who was not able to close the gap. Igarashi’s gameplan was clearly to be more aggressive after his disappointing first round in Tahiti, surfing at a rapid pace and completing an abundance of barrel rides. He’ll hope the fun he had carries over into Round 3.

Right after watching his teammate redeem himself, Connor O'Leary was determined to do the same. The heat had to be restarted due to a lull in the waves, but soon some big sets began churning into the channel at Teahupo’o. O’Leary waited to take a pass until he found a swell he deemed worthy of his efforts and his patience proved wise, as he dropped early into a tall wave and settled in for an extended barrel ride, adding a turn at the end for a bit of flair to earn a 7.33.

Germany's Tim Elter immediately responded with a short but sweet tube ride for a 4.50 to bring him within striking distance of O’Leary. The Japanese surfer wasn’t done yet though, minutes later carving through another tight barrel to bolster his lead and put the pressure on Elter, who now needed a perfect 10 to leapfrog his opponent. The German could not achieve perfection and O’Leary capped off a stellar day for Team Japan in Tahiti, ensuring all four of the country’s surfers will suit up in Round 3. 

Two women made history at the surfing event on Day 2, achieving a feat no one from their country has ever accomplished.

China's Siqi Yang found herself in the water for the first heat of the morning, when strong gusts wind were closing off barrels, creating shorter, choppier waves than those that graced the channel in Round 1. Yang didn’t stay waiting for the hollow swells to form though, instead making the most of the smaller, spit-filled waves by performing a nice series of turns on her first couple runs to get some solid scores on the board.

Peru's Sol Aguirre did not share her opponent’s sense of urgency, not attempting a wave until halfway through the heat. After feeling out the foam, Aguirre made a pit-stop in the channel to switch out her board, opting for a smaller mount that caters more to snappy turns. The change of strategy did not have the intended effect though, as she continued to be a picky surfer while her opponent kept up the pace, dropping in for rides every couple minutes. The clock slowly ran out for Aguirre, and Yang became China’s first surfer to ever advance to Round 3 of Olympic competition. 

Then at the other end of the competition, Israel's Anat Lelior had to wait until the final heat of the day for her chance to earn a spot in the next round. She got off to as good of a start as she could have asked for, taking advantage of a break in the wind to complete one of the rare tube rides in this round. The Israeli added on some sharp turns after making an early exit from the barrel and notched a strong 6.50 minutes into the heat.

Then, after holding a strong lead for the entire period, Lelior tacked on in the last few minutes. She dropped in ahead of the barrel and stalled herself heavily for nice tube ride, vanishing from sight before somehow bursting through the crashing wall of water and staying on her feet. That wave would score a 4.50, ballooning her lead and securing her the victory. With the win, Lelior bested her performance from the Tokyo Games and will become the first Israeli surfer to appear to Round 3 of the Olympic competition. 

Morocco's Ramzi Boukhiam and El Salvador's Bryan Perez went blow for blow, both putting up beautiful tube rides one after another from the jump.

Leading by just 0.13 points with one minute remaining, Boukhiam took advantage of his priority position and dropped into a huge swell, disappearing in the foam ball within the barrel before bursting out into the sunlight. Perez followed right behind him, sliding into a lengthy barrel ride of his own. After the horn sounded, the surfers exchanged pleasantries and awaited their scores. Eventually, they would hear over the loudspeakers that Perez’s last attempt was not enough, and he fell to Boukhiam by two points in an exhilarating heat.

After getting bludgeoned by Teahupo’o in Round 1, Boukhiam punched back and won Round 2 against the Tahitian swell.

After struggling on his home break in Round 1, Tahitian native Kauli Vaast was looking to show off why he’s such a force to be reckoned with at this location.

Early on, he settled into a great tube ride and double dipped for another quick stop in the barrel before exiting with a stylish aerial, grabbing the tail of his board as he soared above the water to end a ride that would score 7.50. Matthew McGillivray immediately responded with a stellar tube ride of his own for a 7.17, but it was the local boy that stole the attention once again. Vaast dropped in for another solid tube, highlighted by his flair on the exit as he completed a heavy cutback turn before sticking the landing on a high aerial.

From there, Vaast was cruising, trying to pad his score with multiple tube rides. The South African kept it close, though, and charged a towering wave with under one minute remaining, but a wipeout would mean the end of his time at Teahupo’o and a spot in Round 3 for the local island boy.

The waves may have been small to begin the day, but by the end of the event, Teahupo'o was serving up its signature swells. 

After Heat 7 began with a restart when the judges deemed there were no surfable waves in the first ten minutes, Jack Robinson found the swell the competitors had been searching for all day. The Australian charged into a monstrous wave, soaring down for a very tardy entry and disappearing in the barrel for a gorgeous tube ride. As he shifted back into sight, flying out of the foam ball, the Aussie saluted the crowd for an exclamation-point finish to a near-perfect ride.

The judges agreed, awarding him a 9.87, the highest single-wave score of the day and the entire competition thus far. That set him up for an easy rest of the round, as he coasted his way into Round 3.

Then, in the final heat of the day, Filipe Toledo followed up Robinson's highlight with an incredible moment of his own.

With five minutes remaining, he punched his ticket into Round 3 with an unbelievable wave. He dropped into a beauty of a swell and sat incredibly deep in the pocket. It looked like there was no chance he could emerge, until the Brazilian came flying through the foam ball, flexing on his way back out to the break knowing he had surely claimed the victory.

It wouldn't be quite as good as Robinson's, scoring a 9.67, but would still end up being the second highest single-wave score of the Olympics through the first two rounds.

See below for full results from Round 2. Scores are the total of each surfers top two waves. All heat winners (indicated in *bold) advance to Round 3, while the losers are eliminated from the Olympic competition.

Women's Surfing: Round 2

Heat 1

Sol Aguirre (PER) – 4.50 total – 2.50, 2.00
*Siqi Yang (CHN) – 8.67 total – 4.50, 4.17

Heat 2

*Sarah Baum (RSA) – 10.50 total – 5.67, 4.83
Camilla Kemp (GER) – 4.94 total – 2.77, 2.17

Heat 3

*Shino Matsuda (JPN) – 9.77 total – 7.67, 2.10
Teresa Bonvalot (POR) – 6.84 total – 3.67, 3.17

Heat 4

*Johanne Defay (FRA) – 11.83 total – 7.83, 4.00
Molly Picklum (AUS) – 7.43 total – 5.83, 1.60

Heat 5

*Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) – 9.50 total – 5.50, 4.00
Candelaria Resano (NCA) – 3.30 total – 1.87, 1.43

Heat 6

*Yolanda Hopkins (POR) – 4.67 total – 3.67, 1.00
Saffi Vette (NZL) – 1.27 total – 0.67, 0.60

Heat 7

*Taina Hinckel (BRA) – 7.10 total – 3.30, 3.30
Sanoa Dempfle-Olin (CAN) – 6.30 total – 3.50, 2.80

Heat 8

*Anat Lelior (ISR) – 7.43 total – 6.50, 3.17
Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (ESP) – 2.70 total – 2.50, 0.20

Men's Surfing: Round 2

Heat 1

Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) – 7.00 total – 5.67, 1.33|
*Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) – 13.87 total – 7.17, 6.70

Heat 2

*Connor O’Leary (JPN) – 14.50 total – 7.33, 7.17
Tim Elter (GER) – 6.07 total – 4.50, 1.57

Heat 3

*Jordy Smith (RSA) – 9.50 total – 5.50, 4.00
Rio Waida (INA) – 5.40 total – 4.67, 0.73

Heat 4

*Kauli Vaast (FRA) – 14.04 total – 7.50, 6.53
Matthew McGillivray (RSA) – 10.67 total – 7.17, 3.50

Heat 5

*Ramzi Boukhian (MAR) – 14.60 total – 7.50, 6.53
Bryan Perez (ESA) – 12.60 total – 6.43, 6.17

Heat 6

*Alan Cleland (MEX) – 15.17 total – 8.50, 6.67
Andy Criere (ESP) – 4.43 total – 2.50, 1.93

Heat 7

*Jack Robinson (AUS) – 16.86 total – 9.87, 7.00
Lucca Mesinas (PER) – 10.83 total – 6.00, 4.83

Heat 8

*Filipe Toledo (BRA) – 17.00 total – 9.67, 7.33
Billy Stairmand (NZL) – 14.00 total – 8.17, 5.83

Assuming the weather holds, catch Round 3 of the men's and women's surfing events Monday starting at 1:00 p.m. ET.

For more information on how to watch, click here.