Paris Olympics 2024: Frenchman Kauli Vaast crowned Olympic swimming champion, Johanne Defay in bronze

2024-08-06 04:51:39

Tahitian surfer Kauli Vaast won the gold medal in surfing on Monday in Teahupo’o, giving France the first success in its history in the discipline. On his land, the Polynesian Surfer beat Australian Jack Robinson in the final.

Living close to the place and living through the warmth of all Polynesia, the 22-year-old researcher took two of the most beautiful waves to win in a very difficult final on the waves of Teahupo’o. The Tahitian surfing prodigy, Kauli Vaast took the lead in the series from his first wave, measured 9.50, to finally get a total of 17.67, against the 7.83 of Jack Robinson, resigned during the last period.

Resident for many years of the second division of world surfing, the Challenger Series, Kauli Vaast has always been able to beat the best surfers on the Elite circuit in this field, like in 2022 when he reached the final of the Tahiti Pro by invitation. .

Kauli Vaast eliminated his friend and teammate Joan Duru in the quarter-finals, then the Peruvian Alonso Correa in the semi-finals. He succeeds as the Olympic swimming champion of Brazil Italo Ferreira, titled in 2021 in Tokyo for the first appearance of the sport. She won her gold medal just twelve minutes after the bronze won by Frenchwoman Johanne Defay in the women’s category.

First Olympic medals for French surfing

Shortly before, the 30-year-old from Reunion Island won bronze and gave France its first Olympic medal in its history in surfing, by winning in the final against Costa Rican Brisa Hennessy.

While he started his competition painfully with a head injury on the first wave of his first series, Johanne Defay made a difference (12.66) with exercises that did a lot on moderate waves for the place during this small final. Brisa Hennessy (4.93), always better than her opponent in the Tahitian tubes, did not find a wave that suited her and waited a long time.

Earlier in the tournament, she defeated two favorites in Teahupo’o: fellow Tahitian Vahine Fierro and reigning Olympic champion Carissa Moore. Beaten in the semi-final by Caroline Marks, the 2023 world champion, after a very close series, he was able to hold his head high in this small final.