SURFING star Jack Robinson nearly drowned and had to be dramatically rescued during his Olympics heat.
Paris 2024 is the first time the sport has been included in the Games, with the action being hosted off the coast of French Polynesia island Tahiti.
And things nearly ended in disaster as a storm hit the venue 9,800 miles from the Eiffel Tower yesterday.
The treacherous conditions led to Robinson being thrown off his board as he tried to ride a huge wave.
His opponent John John Florence was also dumped into the South Pacific Ocean at the same time.
Robinson, 26, disappeared into the wash and worried officials rushed to him on jetskis to pull him out the sea.
He was helped on board and thankfully the Aussie star was okay.
But Robinson admitted after recovering to win his heat against Florence that he could’ve drowned.
He said: “I didn’t get much air. There wasn’t much time.
“I got reminded of so many guys who have had so many bad wipe-outs here.
“I have had some pretty bad wipe-outs but in a contest it’s different. You have way more adrenaline and there is way more on the line.
“Going back out was a test of physicality and spirit.
“We are in an ocean. It is the biggest, most powerful source of life we have on this planet.
“The waves are so powerful. It doesn’t relate to any other sport.
“Maybe an avalanche coming down on your head on a mountain. Maybe it’s similar to that. It’s so dangerous and so crazy.”
Surfers usually deal with waves two or three metres high – yet they can be comfortable as high as seven metres.
How is it scored?
A panel of five judges scores rides out of 10 points and a surfer’s best two waves are combined to give a total out of 20.
Points can be deducted if they get an interference – such as getting in the way of another surfer who has priority.
There are no particular points for a given manoeuvre, but taking on the biggest, most intense waves and riding inside the barrel – where the wave breaks – for the longest time will score favourably.
Why is it in Tahiti?
While nearly every other sport is being competed over in Paris, the European climate and glaring lack of a beach means this event has been outsourced to a warmer part of the world.
France’s surfing beaches are usually flat in the summer, while Tahiti, located in French Polynesia, has huge swells out of the south Pacific throughout the southern hemisphere winter which then hits the reefs at Teahupo’o, creating stunning waves perfect for the Olympics.
