After July 29’s epic showdown which saw Brazil’s Gabriel Medina put on a clinic—and become the top meme for the Olympics—the final medalists were decided.
Teahupo’o, the goliath left hander on Tahiti’s south coast, roared to life for brief moments on Monday, August 5.
Olympics Final Day Drama
Surfing’s sophomore Olympic debut ended in somewhat lackluster conditions. There were long pauses in between set waves during several heats.
Brazil’s Gabriel Medina was sent to battle Peru’s Alonso Correa for third-place after waiting over 15 minutes for a last opportunity to come.
During the women’s final, the lulls continued, yet the women capitalized. Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb battled USA’s Caroline Marks, who took the gold medal after securing a solid barrel in the early stages of the heat, which scored 7.50.
For the men, Tahitian local Kauli Vaast bested Australia’s Jack Robinson in a dominant show of force. “The dream came true. I can’t believe it right now but I just made history—for me, for all Tahitians, for Polynesia and France,” said Vaast in a post-win interview.
Surfing’s Olympic Future
Surfing won the hearts of Olympics fans with intense moments courtesy of Teahupo’o. Yet, it still lacks the media funding that other sports have. However, that seems to be set to change in time for Los Angeles’ 2028 games.
With nearby spots such as Lower Trestles in San Clemente, the LA games will have more accessibility than the previous venues of Tahiti and Tokyo. This, according to organizers, should bring the world and funding closer to the action.
The real test of the Olympics’ financial commitment to the sport will happen when future summer games are held inland. Wave pool technology is developing fast and surf fans everywhere are waiting to see what billions of dollars of funding can create.