Surfing is one of the five new sports to make its Olympic debut next summer. Relive the drama of last year's qualifiers, where athletes from across the world battled to book their tickets to next year's Games.

In the first part of the series, the world’s top amateur and pro surfers are welcomed to the ISA World Surfing Games in Miyazaki, Japan, where they vie for an Olympic spot at Tokyo 2020.

Watch the video below to see the beginning of the women's competition, as they start their Road to Tokyo.

This competition is probably the more important one in my whole career. I have been competing for the majority of my life and here we are, at the qualifiers for the Olympic Games, so… it’s a big opportunity for all of us.

Bianca Buitendag, professional surfer (South Africa)