TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti (AP) — The final heats of the Paris Olympics surfing competition were postponed through Sunday afternoon in Tahiti because of unfavorable conditions, making Monday the likely last day of competition.
Waves were small as the ocean gently lapped against the shore where local youth are usually seen surfing by the Olympic venue.
Throughout the competition, surf forecasters have watched for swells that could bring the best waves for the final day of the surfing competition, which must conclude by Monday.
The surf forecast is the biggest determinant of when the Olympic surfing competition will take place, predicting when swells are expected to arrive, as well as the angle and size of the waves. Only four days of a 10-day window will be allotted for the competition, so it’s important to pick what forecasters think will be the best days.
While Teahupo’o is famed for its large, heavy barrel waves, conditions during the Olympic competition have varied from iconically huge to disappointing, causing delays earlier in the competition window.
Technical delegates were expected to make a decision on the next likely date for the upcoming heats late afternoon on Sunday in Tahiti.
It was the second straight day the competition had been postponed, after defending Olympic women’s surfing champion Clarissa Moore of the United States was beaten in quarterfinals. Throughout Thursday, swells were steady but had fewer of the large barrels seen earlier in the week.
The next day of competition will decide which athletes will take home medals. In the semifinals each heat will feature two surfers semifinals competing to move on to the gold medal heat. The losers of the two semifinal heats will compete in the bronze medal match.
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