Jack Robinson took silver in Olympic surfing, losing to local Kauli Vaast in the gold medal match in Tahiti.
The Margaret River-raised surfer beat three-time world champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil early on Tuesday (AEST) to claim a place in the final.
But he fell 17.67 to 7.83 in the decider to the popular Vaast, who grew up just a few miles from Teahupo’o and first took part in the infamous breakaway aged eight.
Vaast’s victory will be celebrated in style in French Polynesia, the Olympic surfing venue some 15,700 kilometres from Paris.
In calmer conditions than earlier in the tournament, Vaast discovered the best waves and surfed two long barrels in two minutes, scoring impressive 9.50 and 8.17.
Robinson, who responded with a 7.83-barrel run, still had 25 minutes left to catch the 22-year-old.
Despite needing a time of 9.84 to beat Vaast, Robinson was unable to find a wave worth attempting.
Still, the West Australian should be hugely pleased with his efforts at Teahupo’o.
Australian Jack Robinson (pictured) took silver in Olympic surfing
Jack Robinson was defeated by local Kauli Vaast in the gold medal match in Tahiti
Earlier in the competition, he produced one of the highest-scoring waves of the Olympics (a 9.87 barrel during an early heat) before eliminating world number one John John Florence in the round of 16.
Robinson also defeated fellow Australian Ethan Ewing in an all-Australian quarter-final match.
By taking silver, she achieved Australia’s best result in Olympic surfing, after Owen Wright won bronze at the discipline’s first Games in Tokyo 2021.
Medina bounced back to win the bronze medal in Tahiti, three years after losing the previous bronze medal match to Wright.
After three days of rest, competitors returned to the water on Tuesday, the last day of the 10-day period allotted for surfing.
With no other option, the organizers started the semi-finals in waves of less than 2 meters, where the surfers had to make the most of them.
Needing a time of 9.84 to overtake his rival, Robinson was unable to find a wave good enough to put him on top of the podium.
By taking silver, Robinson (pictured left with gold medallist Kauli Vaast, centre, and Gabriel Medina) achieved Australia’s best result in Olympic surfing.
As they waited for the waves to come, Robinson and Medina competed for position in the sea, rowing furiously alongside each other in search of an optimal spot.
Robinson took the best of the half-hour heat, performing a long barrel run that earned a score of 7.83 for an overall score of 12.83.
“I knew it was a special wave because there weren’t too many around at that time,” Robinson said.
The Brazilian, who was clocking 6.33 after a four-lap run, found himself in the same situation as Robinson in the final, watching time run out with no other opportunities.
American Caroline Marks, the reigning World Surf League champion, took gold in a dramatic women’s final against Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb.
Both surfers were trapped under a point halfway along the course before the waves arrived.
Marks led 10.50 to 7.63 until the final minute, when Weston-Webb chased a wave onto the shallow reef.
The horn sounded and both competitors bobbed in the ocean waiting for the wave to be scored, when Marks learned he had won gold by 0.17.
Earlier, Marks tied with France’s Johanne Defay at 12.17 in her semi-final, advancing in a tiebreaker while riding the best wave of the heat.
Brisa Hennessy missed her semifinal shot after taking the same wave as Weston-Webb when the Brazilian had priority, which gave the Costa Rican a penalty.
Defay recovered from his semi-final to defeat Hennessy and take bronze.
Both of Australia’s women’s hopes were eliminated earlier in the competition, when Molly Picklum lost to Defay in the second round and Tyler Wright was defeated by Marks in the quarter-finals.