French Polynesian Kauli Vaast won the gold medal in men’s surfing, and Caroline Marks from the United States won the women’s surfing gold medal on Monday at the Paris Olympics in Tahiti.
The crowd cheered and tears were shed from boats near the waves and spectators on the shore as the men’s final ended in the afternoon. Vaast raised his arms in triumph after defeating Jack Robinson from Australia, who took the silver medal.
“I don’t really realize it, but I just made history,” Vaast said. “I can’t be prouder to represent Tahiti and France at home.”
The women’s gold medal match finished about thirty minutes later, with Marks winning against Tatiana Weston-Webb from Brazil, who received the silver medal.
“Your whole life goes into a moment like this,” Marks said, wearing her gold medal. “It’s beyond all my wildest dreams.”
For the bronze medals, Gabriel Medina from Brazil and Johanne Defay from France won after defeating Alonso Correa from Peru and Brisa Hennessy from Costa Rica, respectively.
“Chopes gave me so many good waves, so many good results. So I can’t complain,” said Medina, referring to Teahupo’o by its nickname.
The medalists, some still barefoot, stepped onto the Olympic podium near the ocean as crowds gathered to cheer and take photos. Roosters ran along the grass, and young local surfers called out the names of the athletes as they walked by.
All the winners in the Paris Olympics surfing competition are first-time Olympic medalists. Defending Olympic women’s champion Carissa Moore from the United States, who won at the Tokyo Games where surfing debuted, was defeated in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
“Obviously I’m really sad to not be a part of finals day, to get to represent my home and my family one more time, but I’m really grateful,” Moore said after her loss.
“I just hope that at the end of the day I can encourage whoever is watching, win or lose, don’t be afraid to go into it fearlessly and don’t be afraid to fail.”
