dpa
Wellington
French surfer and Tahitian local Kauli Vaast clinched Olympic surfing gold on Tuesday (Monday local time) while US surfer Caroline Marks defeated Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb to take gold in the women’s competition.
Vaast outscored Australia’s Jack Robinson, 17.67 to 7.83. Vaast surfed two long barrels, scoring 9.50 and 8.17, while Robinson was unable to execute a second scoring wave at the Paris 2024 surfing venue 16,000 kilometres away in Tahiti.
"I just made history - not just for me, for all Tahitians, for surfing and Polynesians and friends,” Vaast said. "I can’t be more proud to represent Tahiti and friends at home.”
Bronze went to Brazil’s Gabriel Medina with a score of 15.54, beating Peru’s Alonso Correa to the medal.
Former world champion Medina finished fourth in the sport’s Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020.
Medina said: "That was my goal coming here, to get a medal. In Tokyo I was really close and this year I had another chance and I just wanted it really bad so I gave my all in the semi-final. I’m really happy with it. I’m happy to make my family, my friends and all my country proud.” Medina scored a huge 9.90 points - the highest mark in Olympic history - in round three of the men’s competition. The best mark possible is 10.
In the women’s competition, Marks won gold despite failing to find a big second score to go with her 7.50, totalling 10.50.
Weston-Webb came agonizingly close to securing the 4.68 points needed for gold with her second scoring wave, with her 4.50 score leaving her with the silver.
"I’m so honoured and so happy, this is just incredible and I’m so emotional,” Marks said once back on dry land. "So happy to do this for my family and everyone back home. Wow, I’m just so happy.” Johanne Defay of France had earlier secured a bronze medal against Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy, thanks to a 6.83 and 5.83.
Hennessy concluded her Olympic bid with a 3.00 and a 1.93.
The surfing competition was held off the Tahiti village of Teahupo’o - 12 hours behind Paris in the Pacific Ocean.