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00:00It's more me, Celina Sykes, here in the studio.
00:04France bid a final farewell to the Olympics and the Paralympics
00:07with a parade of athletes and volunteers in Paris over the weekend.
00:10But many people want to prolong that Olympic spirit.
00:14Us in the studio very much included.
00:16Celina.
00:17That's right, Mark.
00:17Obviously, it was such an incredible summer, wasn't it, of amazing
00:20sporting moments and achievements and an incredible atmosphere
00:23that I think caught a lot of French people by surprise.
00:26And of course, it's understandable
00:27that a lot of people here in France want to hang on to that magic
00:30of the Olympic Games just a little bit longer.
00:33Well, we're doing exactly that, because I have the pleasure
00:36of being joined in the studio by French surfer and gold medalist
00:39Carly Vester to relive one of the highlight moments of the Olympics.
00:44The 22 year old surfed a near perfect wave to beat Australian
00:47Jack Robinson in the men's final in Tahiti in French Polynesia,
00:51the island where he also grew up.
00:53But Carly, thank you so much for joining us on France 24.
00:56Let's start with that moment.
00:58Actually, can we just see the gold medal?
00:59Because I think we can't quite see it on our screens.
01:01There it is shining in all its glory.
01:05And obviously a historic one,
01:07because it's the first surfing gold medal for France.
01:10And you did it on home turf.
01:12Does it mean that's that much more so much more to you
01:15because you managed to do it on your home break in front of your family
01:18and friends?
01:18Of course, this win means a lot more than just a win.
01:22More just than, yeah, just a winning contest.
01:24It's just insane to have, first of all, the Olympics.
01:26At home and also win at home this medal like the gold medal.
01:32It's the best I think for me I could do.
01:35And yeah, to do it at home with all the family or the friends
01:39was just insane.
01:40Something unreal that I can't really put any words
01:44on this and just wow, just insane.
01:46I'm sure you're still living on cloud nine.
01:49Quite literally, you obviously grew up surfing on the Taihupu wave.
01:53It's one of the most notorious waves in the world.
01:56It's also considered very dangerous, if I understand correctly.
01:59You surfed it for the first time at just eight years old.
02:02Yes, this is how this is.
02:04Well, eight years old, I surfed the first time in Taihupu.
02:07I always heard about Taihupu like a scariest wave,
02:10and I was really scared to go surf that wave.
02:13But the first day when I when I was eight, I went the first time
02:16and it was just like small, clean and perfect for for me.
02:20And I was like, OK, it can be not too scary.
02:23It can be perfect.
02:24And I loved it.
02:25And that's why I keep going it and doing it since I'm eight until now.
02:29And this is how I push the limit.
02:30Every time I went in the water, go, even if I didn't surf, didn't catch a wave,
02:34I was able to just like be in the water, be in the spot, learn how to surf this wave.
02:38And yeah, it's a scary wave, but it can show you the best wave.
02:42You can have the best of your life and also the best fear of your life, too.
02:46I can imagine.
02:46And obviously that local knowledge having paid off.
02:48Do you think that was a big advantage for you, surfing on your home wave?
02:52I think that was a big advantage, of course, to be local.
02:55First of all, just to be local in one spot, you just have extra confidence
03:01with the people.
03:02You know, the people are here.
03:03You know, your family's here.
03:05Everybody's here from your country.
03:07And and then, yeah, and the spot, I've surfed this spot so many times.
03:11I was really prepared and ready for this contest.
03:14And then it was just insane to be at home and local knowledge really helped me.
03:19I can imagine.
03:20And obviously, surfing was the only event not to take place in mainland France.
03:24It's nearly 16,000 kilometers away from mainland France, Tahiti.
03:28I can imagine it was a pretty unique atmosphere on the island,
03:32obviously with the locals, but also with all the surfers who were competing there.
03:35Exactly. It was pretty far.
03:36We like pretty much all the way from the France.
03:40And then but it was it was good at the same time because we were the first
03:44to surf, actually, to do the Olympics, the French, the French Olympic.
03:49And and then, yeah, we were the first to surf.
03:52So we were a little bit of a little bit close.
03:55Like we just we surfers pretty much sometimes during the spot and stuff.
03:58And then after, yeah, we we we kept the vibe going
04:02because watching the the the other athletes doing their performance here
04:07in France, and it was just insane.
04:09It gave us also extra power for extra energy.
04:13We could feel the energy from here to there.
04:15And it was just insane to have the possibility
04:18to see those results for, for example, LĂ©on Marchand and stuff winning.
04:21And we're like, yeah, we can win, too.
04:23We have two more days, three more days.
04:24And then it was just insane.
04:26So you're obviously in your little bubble in Tahiti.
04:28But after your victory, you came to France to celebrate.
04:32That's more than a 21 hour flight across the other side of the world to Europe.
04:36And one of the first things you decided to do was surf the River Seine.
04:39Yeah, that was crazy.
04:40It was in one day decided in one day, 24 hours.
04:44They asked me with the help of my sponsor.
04:46They were like, oh, would you do it?
04:48And I know every single thing, new thing.
04:51I would love to do it.
04:53I love challenge and stuff.
04:54So I was just like, yeah, why not?
04:56It could be the only time I will surf the Seine in my life.
04:59So I was just like, yeah, let's go.
05:01And I had the medal.
05:02A little bit scared of losing the medal, but it was fun.
05:04It was insane.
05:06Good, good stuff.
05:07And also the background was insane.
05:09Yeah, I mean, can't get better than that, can you?
05:11It's literally surfing next to the Eiffel Tower.
05:14And it was just a magnificent Olympics all around us,
05:16seeing all those famous French landmarks.
05:19Other than obviously surfing the River Seine,
05:20you also came to Club France to celebrate with fans here.
05:24What did it mean for you to also be able to celebrate
05:26with French fans here in mainland France at Club France
05:30and obviously at the parade over the weekend?
05:31Yeah, it was the best thing.
05:33I had the chance already to live the best moment of my life
05:35and with the whole country, the whole Tahiti,
05:39all the islands, all Polynesia, and it was just insane.
05:43And then when I came back here, I took straight the first flight
05:46and then I came to Paris just to be able to see
05:51the rest of the Olympics sports.
05:55And then I had the chance to see the basketball finals.
05:58It was just insane.
05:59And then also I had the chance to be part of the Club France.
06:03And that was really amazing to see how many people from France
06:06watched actually and were so happy.
06:08And then to see those people, to see this happiness in their eyes
06:12is just something special because it means a lot.
06:14And then that's why it's just not a win.
06:16It's for everybody.
06:17And yeah, insane.
06:19And then also I had the chance to be to be to to to do
06:23the closing closing ceremony was just insane, too.
06:28I can imagine.
06:28And I have to quickly ask you, obviously, just 22 years old
06:31and you've already won Olympic gold medal.
06:33Your next hope, I would imagine, because you're currently a fixture
06:36in the World Surf League Challenger Series.
06:39Obviously, next goal would be to get into the league championship tour.
06:43Would that be any time soon?
06:44And obviously also, can I ask, are your sights set on L.A.
06:472028? Yes, for sure.
06:49That's the goal to be part of the 32 best surfer in the world, the elite.
06:53And and for that, I need to get good results for the moment.
06:57I don't really have good results for the qualifications, but we'll see.
07:02I that's the first and it was the first goal before the Olympics.
07:07Still the same.
07:08And yeah, I'm going to go 100 percent on it.
07:10And I have two big contests coming up next.
07:13And and yeah, and the Olympics came really fast in the middle of the year.
07:18And it was just insane.
07:19Now I won.
07:19So let's move on and let's focus for the next goals.
07:23I'm sure there's many bigger, better things ahead of you.
07:26Thank you so much for joining us here in France 24.
07:28And we're saying all the best of luck for the future.
07:30Thank you so much for having me.
07:31And that's it for sport, Mark.
07:33Doesn't get any better than that, does it?
07:34Bigger and better than that medal around his neck.
07:36Absolutely fantastic.
07:37Thank you for coming in. Thank you.
07:39Absolutely remarkable to have not just one star, but two stars in the studio.
07:43Face to face.
07:44Exchanging those words.
07:46Selena and Carly, great.
07:47Great to see you both. Thank you.
07:48And thank you very much for taking the time to join us here in France.
07:50We really appreciate it. Great to see you.