Tokyo Olympics 2020 | Surfing makes its debut; Brazil's Italo Ferreira and USA's Carissa Moore secure historic gold medals
Brazil's Italo Ferreira and American Carissa Moore overcame challenging conditions in brilliant style to win historic first Olympic surfing gold medals at the Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach on Tuesday.
Brazil's Italo Ferreira and American Carissa Moore overcame challenging conditions in brilliant style to win historic first Olympic surfing gold medals at the Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach on Tuesday. (Image: Reuters)
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Moore out-classed South African outsider Briana Buitendag to secure victory in the women's event. Here, Carissa Moore of the United States in action. (Image: Reuters)
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Carissa Moore of the United States celebrates after winning gold. (Image: Reuters)
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Ferreira, who learned to surf standing on the foam box his father sold fish from, beat Japan's Kanoa Igarashi in the final. Ferreira snapped his board on the first wave and had to wait in the sea for a replacement. But he recovered to score 15.14 to Igarashi's 6.60 at Tsurigasaki Beach, around 100km (60 miles) east of Tokyo. Italo Ferreira of Brazil celebrates after winning gold. (Image: Reuters)
Gold medallist Carissa Moore of the United States wearing a protective face mask celebrates on the podium with silver medallist Bianca Buitendag (L) of South Africa and bronze medallist Amuro Tsuzuki (R) of Japan. (Image: Reuters)
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Gold medallist Italo Ferreira of Brazil celebrates on the podium with silver medallist, Kanoa Igarashi (L) of Japan and bronze medallist, Owen Wright (R) of Australia. (Image: Reuters)
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Italo Ferreira of Brazil flips as he celebrates on the podium. (Image: Reuters)
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Australia's Owen Wright took the bronze medal, less than six years after suffering a serious head injury that left him needing to learn to walk and surf again. He beat much-fancied Brazilian Gabriel Medina for the bronze, after Igarashi had ousted the world number one in a spectacular semi-final. But the Japanese rider could not repeat the achievement in the final, with Ferreira in unstoppable form. "I started surfing on a cooler, and then I won my first event, and after that I had a lot of passion for the sport and then I started to make history," said Ferreira. (Image: Reuters)
![Australia's Owen Wright took the bronze medal, less than six years after suffering a serious head injury that left him needing to learn to walk and surf again. He beat much-fancied Brazilian Gabriel Medina for the bronze, after Igarashi had ousted the world number one in a spectacular semi-final. But the Japanese rider could not repeat the achievement in the final, with Ferreira in unstoppable form. "I started surfing on a cooler, and then I won my first event, and after that I had a lot of passion for the sport and then I started to make history," said Ferreira. (Image: Reuters)](https://images.moneycontrol.com/static-mcnews/2021/07/surfing-8.jpg "Australia's Owen Wright took the bronze medal, less than six years after suffering a serious head injury that left him needing to learn to walk and surf again. He beat much-fancied Brazilian Gabriel Medina for the bronze, after Igarashi had ousted the world number one in a spectacular semi-final. But the Japanese rider could not repeat the achievement in the final, with Ferreira in unstoppable form. "I started surfing on a cooler, and then I won my first event, and after that I had a lot of passion for the sport and then I started to make history," said Ferreira. (Image: Reuters)")
