The 2024 Paris Olympics made a bold move by holding the surfing competition in French Polynesia at Teahupo’o, a location nearly 10,000 miles away from Paris with no space for spectators. Despite initial concerns about the dangerous reef break, Teahupo’o provided magical moments for surfers like Caroline Marks and Kauli Vaast who earned gold medals. The challenging conditions eliminated top competitors like Gabriel Medina and John John Florence, while Johanne Defay of France won a bronze medal.
After an epic day of waves on July 29, the competition faced difficult decisions about when to hold the medal rounds due to calmer conditions. Vaast’s gold medal-winning barrel ride against Jack Robinson in the finals highlighted the athletes’ skills in challenging conditions. Marks also secured a gold medal in a close final heat against Tatiana Weston-Webb.
Teahupo’o showcased the state of the art of surfing to the world, without causing any serious injuries despite its reputation for having a sharp reef. The International Surfing Association sees the competition as a full-circle moment, tying surfing’s Polynesian roots to Duke Kahanamoku’s dream of making surfing an Olympics sport. Looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, there are questions about whether it can top the success of the Paris surfing competition.
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