Caroline Marks and Kauli Vaast Win Gold Medal at Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Today, Caroline Marks (USA) and Kauli Vaast (FRA), two 22-year-olds born just twelve days apart, won Surfing’s second Olympic Gold Medals on a historic day at Teahupo’o, French Polynesia’s idyllic location for Surfing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It was always going to be an incredible Finals Day, and Tahiti delivered once again, with tension building throughout the day, punctuated by a fresh swell that rose heat-by-heat.

Women’s Podium / Photo: Pablo Franco

Men’s Podium / Photo: Pablo Franco

On paper, the match-ups held undeniable promise, showcasing the ISA as a strong pathway to the Olympic Games. Three of the four men in the Semifinals were ISA Medalists, who had qualified for Paris 2024 through the ISA World Surfing Games, (WSG) and each of the four women to make the Semifinals were ISA Medalists, three of them ISA World Junior Champions.

The host nation of France claimed two medals, their first in Surfing. Vaast’s Gold Medal was complimented by a Bronze Medal for Johanne Defay. Brazil also earned two medals, the Silver for Tatiana Weston-Webb and Bronze for Gabriel Medina.

Caroline Marks was able to retain the Gold Medal for Team USA, backing up the Gold Medal her teammate Carissa Moore won at Tokyo 2020, while Australia’s Jack Robinson bettered the Bronze Medal Owen Wright took home from Tokyo by winning the Silver Medal.

Caroline Marks, Team USA / Photo: Beatriz Ryder

Reigning World Champion Caroline Marks retains Gold Medal for Team USA

Caroline Marks (USA) added to her growing list of achievements with the addition of an Olympic Gold Medal to that of ISA World Junior Champion and WSL World Champion. The youngest surfer to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is also the youngest to ever qualify for the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), or compete in a CT event. At 22-years-old, she is now the youngest woman to win Olympic gold in Surfing.

“It’s really hard to put into words what this feeling is like,” Marks said. “I feel like it hasn’t really hit me yet. I’m just really happy and trying to soak everything in because it’s probably the best day of my life.”