Colin Jost, the Saturday Night Live sketch artist turned surfing correspondent, has been providing not just sports updates but also a comedic twist during his stint at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Covering the surfing events in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, Jost shared a humorous yet painful update on his staph-infected foot, which he sustained while on assignment.
The injury occurred on the coral of Tahiti's turquoise lagoons, leaving Jost with bloodied and bandaged toes. He took to Instagram to share photos of his injured foot, giving his followers a glimpse into the not-so-glamorous side of Olympic coverage.
The French Polynesian island, located 9,762 miles from the Olympic Village , has proven to be a beautiful and hazardous setting for Jost's reporting duties. During a live segment with NBC Olympics Late Night host Maria Taylor, Jost's comedic talents were on full display in a conversation as Taylor opened the conversation with a light-hearted jab about Jost's appearance and his adaptation to the correspondent role.
READ MORE: Pat McAfee has his say on 'disrespectful' Olympics opening ceremony
READ MORE: Olympic surfer recalls terrifying ordeal after almost drowning at Paris 2024
"You've apparently found a blazer and look a little more professional. Seems like you're really growing some roots here in this correspondent gig. Do you feel more comfortable with your job now?" Taylor joked. Jost, never missing a beat, responded: "Yeah, it's going fantastic Maria. I'm here at our NBC studio in Tahiti, and you'll notice that my newsdesk also doubles as a barbeque," as he used a smoker pit for a makeshift desk.
Taylor, trying to keep a straight face, then inquired about Jost’s injury. "Let's check on your toe. We were talking about Tahiti. You're going through 'Toe-hiti.' Has it healed, and did you choose to wear shoes today?" Jost, with characteristic sarcasm, shared his medical ordeal. "I've been visiting the medical tent regularly. It's a weird feeling when you're in the medical tent way more than the athletes," he said, showing his bandaged feet.
"I felt like a war correspondent saying, 'Hey Army, can I have a band-aid?' The medical staff knows my name at this point and are very familiar with my badge ID number."
Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.
He continued, "They know I'm allergic to penicillin and started saying that they need to see me every day because the infection hasn't improved. The medics are native French speakers, so it's always cool when a doctor is explaining what can be going wrong, but they have to use Google Translate for the medical terms," which elicited more laughter from Taylor.
Jost also shared his interactions with professional surf journalists , reassuring them that his comedic reporting would never threaten their careers. When Taylor asked for a parting joke, Jost joked, "Yeah, I'm here. Colin Jost is a surf journalist." He laughed after telling Taylor he decided not to leave the games unless evacuated by helicopter.
The surfing competition began on July 27 and is scheduled for four days within a 10-day window, concluding on Aug 5. Despite the challenging conditions, the event has advanced past Round 3 for men and wrapped up Round 2 for women. Powerful winds and scatting rain have caused multiple postponements, affecting conditions to continue.
Most Popular
Comments / 0