The Olympic surfing competition in Tahiti has taken unexpected turns as defending women’s champion Carissa Moore of the United States was eliminated in the quarterfinals. French surfer Johanne Defay outperformed Moore with a score of 10.34 to 6.50, ending the five-time world champion’s Olympic run. Moore, reflecting on her loss, said, ‘When you come up short of a dream it sucks’.In the women’s competition, Brazilian surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb has emerged as a strong contender, securing her spot in the semifinals. Weston-Webb defeated world number one Caitlin Simmers in the round of 16 and then overcame Spanish surfer Nadia Erostarbe in the quarterfinals with a score of 8.10 to 6.34. She will face Costa Rican surfer Brisa Hennessy in the semifinals, who advanced after defeating Brazilian Luana Silva in a close quarterfinal match.On the men’s side, Brazilian surfing star Gabriel Medina confirmed his favoritism by advancing to the semifinals. Medina defeated his compatriot João Chianca, known as ‘Chumbinho’, with a score of 14.77 to 9.33. Meanwhile, Peruvian surfer Alonso Correa made history by qualifying for the semifinals, narrowly defeating Japanese surfer Reo Inaba with a score of 10.50 to 10.16.The competition has been challenging due to inconsistent wave conditions, with surfers struggling to find ideal waves. ‘We suffered in the water, we couldn’t find the tubes, we had to fight for it,’ said Correa, describing the difficult conditions. The semifinals and finals are tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 3, pending favorable weather conditions.
Key points
- Defending women’s champion Carissa Moore eliminated in quarterfinals.
- Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb and Costa Rican Brisa Hennessy advance to women’s semifinals.
- Gabriel Medina of Brazil and Alonso Correa of Peru secure spots in men’s semifinals.
- Challenging wave conditions affecting competition outcomes.
