How Aussie silver medal-winning surfer Jack Robinson came within a centimetre of a shattered Olympic dream

Jack Robinson has created history in Teahupo’o by claiming Australia’s first Olympic silver medal in surfing but a mishap in practice could have ended it all.

Silver medallist Jack Robinson peering down at a piece of history. Picture: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Olympic silver medallist Jack Robinson came within 1cm of having his Games dream shattered before going on to make surfing history for Australia.

Moments after leaving the water following the men’s final in Teahupo’o, Tahiti, on Tuesday (AEST) Robinson’s coach Matt Bemrose revealed the athlete’s entire campaign hinged on the fingernail gap between the reef he landed on at practice and his Achilles.

“He was like a centimetre away from not competing,” Bemrose said after Robinson (7.83) lost to French athlete Kauli Vaast (17.67) in the final.

Robinson almost didn’t make it to the final. Picture: Ed Sloane/Getty Images

Robinson said the moment that left him with seven stitches gave him the perspective he needed to produce one of the most astonishing Olympic campaigns of any athlete.

“I almost didn’t get to surf this whole event,” Robinson said.

“It didn’t affect me but it was so close to (doing so). I look back on that moment and never take it for granted because it was that close to not being able to happen.”

Robinson dedicated the silver medal to his seven-month-old son Zen and said he would hang it in his room.

Fellow Australian Olympic surfer Molly Picklum was Robinson’s roommate in Tahiti and said the silver medal would only fuel the current world no. 3 in his quest to win a world title.

Tyler Wright, Molly Picklum and Jack Robinson prior to the Games. Picture: Supplied

Robinson will compete at the World Surf League’s Championship Tour’s Fiji Pro from August 20 before the finals in California, from September 6.

“He is such a special guy. He always has a lesson in everything and I think with silver, his time is now going to come in Fiji.

“He is always looking forward. If the present isn’t what he wants, he knows something else is coming positively around the corner. He will 100 per cent think the world title is all his now.”

The West Australian, who now resides on the Gold Coast, was inspired by late world champion Andy Irons as a child and reflected on the influence he would now have on young Aussies and surfing lovers worldwide.

“I remember when I was little how much I looked up to Andy. In the final and in the semi-final I did get feelings of when I was young,” Robinson said.

“I imagined myself doing it for that little kid who was inspired or motivated to be here one day on this platform. You get those flashbacks.”

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Vaast grew up surfing the world famous break of Teahupo’o and became Tahiti’s first Olympic gold medal winner on the back of the victory.

It remains a historical moment for Australia who won bronze at the Tokyo Games thanks to Owen Wright.

Vaast had the gold medal sealed within the opening 10 minutes of the men’s final after the local paddled hard to the lineup to get priority from the outset.

He found himself entering the biggest tube of the day before emerging with two fists raised, holding the hopes of the Olympic host nation on his shoulders.

Robinson gets a barrel in the men's surfing gold medal final. Picture: Jerome Broulliet / AFP

It was scored a 9.50. Robinson hit back and squeezed everything he could out of a smaller wave to get a 7.83 before Vaast added an 8.17.

Robinson had already done the impossible to get to the final and while he pushed to the end, it was a bridge too far.

The West Australian had bounced back after a controversial round 1 to win in round 2 against Luccas Mesinas and nearly drowned on his way to beating two-time world champion John John Florence in round 3.

He edged past compatriot Ethan Ewing in the quarterfinals and beat three-time world champion Gabriel Medina in the semi-final.

But the final belonged to the Frenchman. The ocean went flat when Medina needed a score in the semi-final and it did the same for around 25 minutes as Robinson searched for a miracle that never came.

“Who he had to go through to get to this moment is just astonishing,” Bemrose said.

“I’m super proud of him. We had a moment out there to say how cool is this, an Olympian and silver medallist.

“It stings for him but I said go home, do a mental download and think about this journey and how amazing it was.

“He competed as sharp as a tack this whole event, from small waves to big waves and everything in between.

“To go through all those world champions and do it with like the Australia on his back and he knew everyone back home was super proud of him as well.”