The first to climb to the top of the podium was Vaast, who defeated Australian Jack Robinson in the final to give France its first title in this discipline. Vaast, born in Tahiti, finished his performance with 17.67 points, after scoring 9.50 on his best wave in his first attempt. This allowed him to establish himself as the clear winner over his rival, who took the silver medal with 7.83 points.

Before reaching the Olympic competition, the Frenchman's highest ambition was to be one of the best surfers in the world. In these Games, he progressed steadily, eliminating competitors like American Griffin Colapinto and compatriot Joan Duru along the way. Vaast had a long journey to gold, having to compete in every round of the event. "The dream has come true. I can't believe it right now, but I have just made history: for me, for all Tahitians, for Polynesia, and for France," said Vaast, adding that he had lost his voice from shouting to the local fans while taking his victory lap on a jet ski.

Vaast suffered a meniscus injury to his left knee in April 2023, but his recovery was swift, and he returned to compete a month later at the Surf Ranch Pro in Moore, California. The 22-year-old joins Brazilian Ítalo Ferreira, the gold medallist in Tokyo, as an historic Olympic surfing champion, with Paris 2024 being the sport's second Olympic edition, featuring the world's best surfers. His record also includes three titles in the WSL Junior Europe.

Meanwhile, Brazilian Gabriel Medina won the bronze after defeating Peruvian Alonso Correa. With a total of 15.54 points and a best wave of 7.77 on his fifth attempt, he clearly outperformed Correa, who finished with a score of 12.43 (6.83 + 5.60). Medina's triumph marks the 12th medal for his country's delegation in these Olympics.

Close final in the women's category

In the women's category, it was American Marks who took the gold after defeating Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb in the final. Marks completed her performance with 10.50 points, achieving a best wave of 7.5 on her second attempt. The victory over her rival was quite narrow, as Weston-Webb recorded 10.33 points.

The heat began slowly with both surfers patiently waiting for a good wave. After almost 10 minutes without an opportunity, Marks took on a powerful wave, made a smooth turn at the bottom, and entered a round and perfect tube. It wasn't the deepest or longest action of the day, but it was enough to win the gold with a certain elegance.

Weston-Webb responded with her own tube, though on a smaller wave, leading to a couple of strong rail turns. The result was a 5.83. Marks struggled to find a second high score, managing only a 3.00 with a small tube and a top turn. She nearly emerged from another great tube, but the wave broke on her as she was about to exit. This fall left the door open for Weston-Webb, who scored an insufficient 4.50 in the last 90 seconds, finishing just 0.17 points behind the winner.

Back on the beach after being crowned, Marks burst with joy. "This is simply incredible, and I am so excited," she said. "I feel very happy to do this for my family. I am very happy and trying to take it all in because this is probably the best day of my life," concluded the surfer.

With this first place in Paris 2024, Marks took the crown left vacant by Carissa Moore in Tokyo 2020. The current champion, who once said surfing was a family pastime, came to this competition aiming to improve her performance from the previous Games, where she finished fourth, and made it clear that her greatest ambition was to "win gold in Paris."

In the battle for the bronze medal, Frenchwoman Johanne Defay defeated Costa Rican Brisa Hennessy. Defay took third place with 12.66 points, securing a best wave of 6.83 on her sixth attempt. This clearly advantaged her over her rival, who finished with a modest score of 4.93 (3.00 + 1.93).

Teahupo'o beach, located in French Polynesia and home to the ASP World Tour, is globally renowned as the place where “the great wave” is produced, a natural spectacle that reaches up to ten metres in height.