Vaast Surfs to Glory: Captures Olympic Gold on Home Turf.

Multi Sports Paris 2024 Olympics

Posted 2 months ago

Vaast Surfs to Glory: Captures Olympic Gold on Home Turf.

American Caroline Marks and France's Kauli Vaast have claimed victory as the 2024 Olympic surfing champions.

Caroline Marks, 22, who just missed a bronze at Tokyo 2020, won the women's title in Tahiti. The surfing competition took place 9,800 miles from Paris, in the waters off Vaast's home island.

Tahiti was selected for its famous Teahupo’o wave, which Vaast, also 22, first surfed at age eight. He started the final with a near-perfect 9.5 ride, while Australia's Jack Robinson scored 7.83.

Vaast's next wave brought his total to 17.67, and Robinson couldn't catch up, making Vaast the first Olympic champion from Tahiti.

"I was lucky; we only surfed three waves before the ocean went flat," Vaast said. He felt a special energy, called 'mana', guiding him to gold. "We have a good relationship with the surf," he added.