Billy Stairmand (born 21 October 1989) is a New Zealand surfer who competed in the
men's shortboard event at the
2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
. He
qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Early life
Stairmand was born and raised in
Raglan
Raglan may refer to:
People
*FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855), British Army officer, commander of British troops during the Crimean War
*Raglan (surname)
*Raglan Squire (1912–2004), British architect
Places Australia
*Count ...
, a beachside town on the
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
of New Zealand known for its surfing spots.
Career
In 2010 Stairmand won his first national title,[ as well as his first ]ASP
Asp may refer to:
Places
* Asp, part of Densbüren, Aargau, Switzerland
* Aspe (''Asp'' in Valencian), Alicante, Spain
* Asp Lake, a lake in Minnesota
Animals
* Asp (fish)
* Asp (snake), in antiquity, one of several venomous snakes
** ''Cera ...
World Tour victory at the six-star Ferrolterra Movistar Pantin Classic. He established himself on the international scene the following year by defeating ten-time world champion Kelly Slater
Robert Kelly Slater (born February 11, 1972) is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. Slater is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time. Slater is also ...
at the Telstra Drug Aware Pro in Australia.[
In 2019 Stairmand collected victories at the Rip Curl Raglan Pro and the Gold Coast Open. He also finished eighth overall at the ]2019 ISA World Surfing Games
The 2019 ISA World Surfing Games were held at Kisakihama Beach in Miyazaki, Japan, from 7 to 15 September 2019. The event was organised by the International Surfing Association (ISA).
Medal summary
Medallists
Medal table
Olympic qualifi ...
,2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
as the highest-placed competitor from Oceania. In March 2020 he suffered a medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear in his left knee while preparing for the Corona Piha Pro in New Zealand, sidelining him for almost three months.[
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stairmand had to wait until 2021 to compete at the inaugural Olympic surfing competition in Tokyo. The month before the Games, both he and Ella Williams were confirmed by the New Zealand Olympic Committee as the country's representatives. Stairmand advanced to the elimination round after placing third in the initial heat and third in the repechage, but was eliminated by the reigning world champion and eventual gold medallist ]Ítalo Ferreira
Ítalo Ferreira (born May 6, 1994) is a Brazilian professional surfer hailing from a small community of Baía Formosa, in Rio Grande do Norte on the northeastern coast of Brazil. Ferreira is one of the most explosive surfers in the world, and is ...
.
Personal life
Stairmand met Cornwall native Liana Parker while competing at a WSL Qualifying Series event in England, and the couple married in 2018.
Apart from surfing, he enjoys basketball, golf, skateboarding and snowboarding.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stairmand, Billy
Living people
1989 births
New Zealand surfers
Olympic surfers for New Zealand
Surfers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
People from Raglan, New Zealand
Sportspeople from Waikato
Surfers at the 2024 Summer Olympics