Saquarema Pro 2023 champion, and considered one of the best surfers of the new generation, Erin Brooks, 16, could be excluded from the Paris 2024 Olympics.

All because of the bureaucratic mess that has been going on since last year. Brooks was born in Texas and moved with his family to Hawaii at a young age. His father, Jeff Brooks, has dual nationality, American and Canadian, and it is for this reason that the family decided that the young surfer would defend the Canadian flag in international competitions, aiming for the Olympic Games, as do other surfers, like Kanoa Igarashi and Taitana Weston Webb.

However, a proposed Canadian bill, C-37 of 2009, ended the extension of citizenship to second generations born abroad. It appears that Erin’s citizenship application was made after the new rule was implemented and, as a result, neither her family nor the Canadian Surfing Federation were able to prove the nationality of the young surfer, identified as one of the favorites to win a medal at the Olympic Games in Teahupo’o, Olympic surfing venue in 2024.

Erin also won a silver medal at the ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador in June and a gold medal at the ISA World Junior Championships in June 2022.

In a letter explaining the decision not to grant the “discretionary grant of citizenship,” Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says Brooks failed to meet the requirements.

“The application is refused on the grounds that the applicant is not stateless, that he has not experienced particular or unusual difficulties or that he has rendered services to Canada of exceptional value justifying the discretionary grant of the Canadian citizenship.indicates the letter.

Canadian Surfing Federation says Jeff Brooks intends to appeal the decision to the Federal Court.

“She wants to surf [pelo Canadá] because you want to represent your family and your heritage“Jeff said in an interview this week, before the government’s decision. “And it’s been an uphill battle… But I’m proud that she’s strong and willing to go through the whole process and give everything she has. We talked about it. If that doesn’t work and she one day has to leave Canada, she can do so with her head held high, knowing that she gave it her all and did her best to represent the country she feels most connected to..”

The Brooks family is going through difficult times and the Canadian government’s refusal was another blow in a year where things have not been easy. Their home in Lahaina, Maui, was destroyed in the recent tragic wildfires and Brooks’ mother is battling cancer.

“Citizenship is something we have no control over, just like cancer or fire. Erin and I talked about it and said let’s just focus on the things we can control, which is surfing and your training, and keeping a positive mindset and being open to the outcome, whatever it may be. either..”

Olympic Games

The question that remains is: Can Erin still represent the United States of America in the Olympics? According to Erin’s father, “If this is not done in time, we will have to sit down and re-evaluate where we are once this Olympic cycle is over.“. It is clear that the athlete has a strong desire to compete on the world’s biggest sporting stage. She expresses great concern about missing the opportunity to participate, especially after years of arduous training.

If she were representing the American flag, Erin would currently be the second highest ranked international surfer in the United States, making her a promising candidate. On the other hand, the young athlete is aware that her sports career is long and hopes that even if she misses this opportunity at the age of 16, there will still be many opportunities to participate in the Olympic Games in the future . So, despite adversity, her determination and optimism indicate that she will continue to pursue her Olympic dreams, regardless of the end result.