Olympic organizers made a big bet in holding the 2024 Paris Olympics surfing competition at an ominous location in French Polynesia nearly 10,000 miles from Paris, with pretty much no space for spectators. Despite reef-inflicted injuries and moments when the location was questioned as just too dangerous, it would be hard to conclude Teahupo'o didn't provide its own golden moments. The U.S.' John John Florence, the world's top-ranked professional surfer, was eliminated in the third round by Australia's Jack Robinson, who took silver. Marks took gold in a lip-bashing final heat that could have gone either way. Neither Marks nor Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb gave an inch during the heat, and Marks earned gold by one-tenth of a point.

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Persons: Caroline Marks, Kauli Vaast —, Brazil's Gabriel Medina, John John Florence, Australia's Jack Robinson, Clarissa Moore, Johanne Defay, Moore, “, don’t, ” Moore, Vaast, Robinson, Marks, Brazil's Tatiana Weston, Webb, Teahupo'o, Colin Jost's, Jost, Teahupo'o's, Duke Kahanamoku Organizations: Team France, U.S, France, NBC, Olympics, Games, Angeles Olympics Locations: Polynesia, Paris, U.S, Tahiti, French Polynesia, France, Australia, Vaast, , California, Southern California