Tahiti’s Kauli Vaast Triumphs Over Jack Robinson to Claim Surfing Gold, while Caroline Marks Takes Women’s Title at World Championships

Surfing at “home,” Vaast, born in Tahiti, faced Jack Robinson in the final, claiming the title with 17.67 points, after scoring 9.50 on his first wave and 8.17 on the second, against a resigned Australian opponent who scored only 7.83 and took the silver.

Kauli Vaast succeeds the Brazilian Ítalo Ferreira, the winner in Tokyo 2020.

In the battle for bronze, Brazilian Gabriel Medina surpassed Alonso Correa, scoring 15.54 points against the 12.43 of the Peruvian. Medina scored 7.77 and 7.77 on his two best waves, while Correa scored 6.83 and 5.60.

The women’s event – in which Portuguese surfers Teresa Bonvalot (eliminated in the second round) and Yolanda Hopkins (eliminated in the quarter-finals) participated – concluded with the victory of American Caroline Marks, scoring 10.50 points against the 10.33 of Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb, who took silver.

French surfer Johanne Defay won the bronze medal, achieving 12.66 points in the duel with Costa Rican Brisa Hennessy (4.93), who had eliminated Yolanda Hopkins in the ‘round of 16’.