Jack Robinson breaks through seemingly impenetrable wall of water to make semi finals of Olympic surfing in Tahiti, Tyler Wright knocked out
In the space of two heats, the Australian surfing contingent in Tahiti went from three to one. But the one surfer remaining, Jack Robinson, is ready to break through any barrier as he showed in his quarter final victory at the famous Teahupo’o reef.
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Tyler Wright has been bundled out of the women’s Olympic surfing competition by reigning world champion Caroline Marks.
The condition of waves dropped off drastically in a lacklustre heat that Marks won 7.77 to 5.37.
In the space of two heats the Aussie contingent went from three to one with Wright’s loss adding to Ethan Ewing’s defeat at the hands of compatriot Jack Robinson.
Robinson surfing for a medal
Robinson broke through a seemingly impenetrable wall of water to become the only Australian surfer still chasing gold at the Olympic Games and will definitely will surf for an Olympic medal.
The Australian’s decision to tuck into a barrel in the dying stages of his all-Australian quarterfinal against Ethan Ewing looked to have brought him undone at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, on Friday (AEST).
Instead it was the move that sealed a two-wave total of 15.33 to beat Ewing (13) in one of the most scintillating finals of the day.
The duo had gone blow-for-blow. They both had a high top score. Ewing an 8.33 and Robinson a 7.33.
It was always going to come down to what they added next. When Ewing secured a 4.67 backup in inconsistent conditions and without priority it looked like a stroke of genius.
Enter Robinson. The West Australian, who now calls Gold Coast home, looked gone when a wave closed out but he refused to let it swallow him, holding on to punch through in the most unlikely of circumstances.
“I had to get real small for that one. I had to just try to be flexible, do yoga,” Robinson said.
“I knew it would be a good heat with him. Competitively, he always makes good decisions.”
Ewing’s exit and Tyler Wright’s loss to US athlete Caroline Marks 7.77 to 5.37 in the women’s quarter-finals means Robinson is the only Australian left in the surfing.
The big wave charger has already taken down two-time world champion John John Florence and Ewing in the last two rounds and will now face event favourite and three-time world champion Gabriel Medina (Brazil) in the semi-finals.
“The road is never just straight forward. You always have to push through. (Medina) is going to be a good match up,” Robinson said.
Organisers believe conditions won’t be good enough to compete in on Saturday (AEST) while the semi-finals and finals are likely to be held on Sunday.
Ewing said there were three good waves in the heat and Robinson managed to get two of them.
“It’s pretty disappointing (for the Olympic campaign to end),” Ewing said.
“I felt like everything was going pretty good and felt like a lot of things were going my way. To come up short is always disappointing but there are a lot of positives to take away as well.
“Looking back there weren’t too many things I could do.”
Robinson’s coach Matt Bemrose sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Ewing’s coach Bede Durbidge in the channel and the two competitors embraced after the quarterfinal ended.
“I just said good job. I’m going for him now in the event and I said thanks for pushing (me),” Ewing said.
“He is a good shot at getting gold so I’m going for him.”
Robinson’s board design causes him distress
Jack Robinson may be the only surfer left flying the flag for Australia at the Games but it’s another flag that threatened to cause him angst.
It’s understood South Korean officials reached out to Robinson’s management in recent weeks when they discovered his board design showed a spray of red stripes.
Robinson said it was a nod to childhood hero and late surfer Andy Irons, a three-time world champion, who famously had the rising sun design on his board and clothes.
For some South Koreans it highlights the trauma experienced during the military rule the Japanese had in their country in the mid-1900s. Japan had the rising sun on its flag at the time.
The Aussie hasn’t ridden a board in the competition with the design but hinted it may make a return in the future.
“The guys in the team handled that one. I just paid tribute to Andy you know, one of the guys who inspired me growing up,” Robinson said.
“(Irons’ brother) Bruce sent me some nice messages when he saw the spray. “We will bring the spray back somewhere so stay tuned.”
‘Vomited twice’: Sea sick Aussie surfer throws up a fight
Sea sickness and body scrapes didn’t hold Tyler Wright back in her pursuit of Australia’s first Olympic surfing gold medal.
The Australian has revealed she vomited twice before beating Israel’s Anat Lelior 11.10 to 7.74 in a round 3 heat that also left her bleeding.
“I have already thrown up twice out there. I get so sea sick,” Wright said of her time waiting on the boat for her heat to begin.
The 30-year-old rode a wave right into the reef in a desperate bid to get as many points out of it as possible and she came away with the win and new scars.
“My hand is fine. It will be bruised later,” Wright said while declaring it wouldn’t affect her ability to push off the board and stand up in the quarter-final against reigning world champion and US athlete Caroline Marks.
“The hand is scrapped, the leg is scrapped. I’ll have a big old bruise on my hip. I know what is on the line. I’m here and I want it.”
Wright was in control of the entire heat but could have wrapped it up four minutes into the 30 minute match-up.
She locked in a 5.83 in the opening two minutes and then tucked into the deepest barrel of the day moments later but came off when it closed out right at the end.
Wright managed to punch out of a barrel late in the heat to get a 5.27 backup score.
Wright’s desire to compete in LA
Wright has declared she wants to continue surfing through to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games following the end of her Paris campaign.
The two-time world champion lost to US athlete Caroline Marks 7.77 to 5.37 in the women’s quarterfinals at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, on Friday (AEST).
The Australian was left seething after the loss. She desperately wanted to win gold for her country and punched a mat in the immediate aftermath.
The 31-year-old wants another shot.
“If my body holds out, if my mentality holds out I’d love to (compete in LA),” Wright said.
“I would really love to be part of it again. I also understand the next generation is coming through.
“It’s one of those things where we will see what happens but if I’m still competing I’d love to.”
Wright said the loss came down to the start of the 30 minute heat. It was a sliding doors moment.
She got the jump on Marks and found the best wave on offer but couldn’t complete it. It put her on the back foot and she never recovered from a wave that could have propelled her to a win.
“I am pretty pissed but that will pass,” Wright said.
“You want to be on the best wave at the start and I feel I did that. I just didn’t come out.”
Few surfers found clean barrels in the smaller and inconsistent conditions and were forced to complete other manoeuvres on the face of the waves. Wright was left longing for the hollow tubes.
“In my perspective I had good technical barrel riding skills,” Wright said
“That is something that I have really improved on, especially this week. I’m bummed it didn’t come down to barrels.
“That is what I’m here for. I’m not saying that’s what it had to be but I’m bummed the conditions were slightly a bit better so it could come down to that.”
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