Australian surfer Owen Wright has beaten two-time Brazilian world champion Gabriel Medina to win a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
He beat Medina in a nail-biting 11.97 to 11.77 victory to claim the first ever medal for the sport in its Olympics debut, capping off a remarkable comeback.
Six years ago, Wright suffered a near-fatal head injury while surfing at Hawaii‘s Pipeline in 2015.
He yelled in delight as he came out of the water and rushed to celebrate with his Australian teammates, who have christened themselves the Irukandji after the venomous jelly fish.
With Wright in the middle of their victory circle, he faked ‘stinging’ his teammates and they dropped to the sand as he roared in triumph.
‘Mate, I feel like I’m walking on a cloud. I couldn’t be any prouder,’ Wright told Channel Seven afterwards.
‘My heart was beating SO hard! The conditions were crazy. I just stayed focused.’
Aussie Owen Wright celebrates after winning the first surfing medal at the Olympics
Wright had a message for other traumatic brain injury survivors.
‘On a really personal level … all the people who have had really bad brain injuries,’ he said.
‘It’s all possible. Don’t give up. Keep striving to get back there.’
‘I went through some tough times but it was the Olympics inclusion of surfing that spurred me to get back to my best.’
‘Getting that medal sealed it for me.’
‘The Olympics to me has been like that beacon of light.
‘It really has. I was going through some really tough times. I had some long lasting symptoms. I questioned whether or not I would do the sport again.’
Aussie Owen Wright’s bronze medal caps off a remarkable comeback to the sport
Wright’s wife Kita and their two children Varley and Rumi proudly watched on back home in Australia on the NSW far north coast.
They could only be joined by several friends due to the current coronavirus restrictions in NSW.
‘It was so beautiful to watch him win that against Gabby, a really good mate,’ Kita said.
‘We’re so thrilled for Owen and for Australia and to add that bronze medal to his trophy room.’
‘I just can’t believe my husband’s an Olympian, let alone the first Australian surfer to ever win a medal at the Olympics.
Wright hasn’t seen his young family in two-and-a half months and will remain separated for another several months.
Owen Wright (pictured) had to beat two-time Brazilian world champion and good mate Gabriel Medina for the bronze medal
Young Varley was asked if he had a message for his dad following the bronze medal win.
‘I want an ice cream,’ he replied.
‘I love you Dad and I miss you.’
Wright, 31, had a nail-biting duel in messy surf with Medina, the two-time Brazilian world champion and Olympic gold medal favourite.
The Australian had priority at the end of the clash and stuck to Medina like an irukandji to deny the Brazilian any late scoring opportunity, winning 11.97 to 11.77.
‘I got my waves and then I just (wrapped) him up in the tentacles, which is what we’ve been using all week, the irukandji tentacles … I didn’t let him breathe,’ Wright said.
‘My heart was beating so hard.’
Owen Wright rushed to celebrate with his Australian teammates following the win
Earlier, fellow Australian Sally Fitzgibbons was distraught after a shock quarter-final loss to Japan‘s Amuro Tsuzuki put her out of medal contention.
She called it the toughest result of her career.
‘This hurts so bad, this one (is) the toughest loss of my career,’ the Australian told Channel Seven.
‘My heart is just shattered.’
‘To my family, I just want to say thanks so much.
‘I surfed every wave out there for you.’
Owen Wright hopes his bronze medal will inspire other brain injury survivors
Fitzgibbons said she badly wanted to perform better for her teammates and country.
‘This hurts so bad, this one (is) the toughest loss of my career,’ she said.
‘My heart is just shattered.’
The men’s and women’s finals were moved forward by one day because of the conditions generated by tropical storm Nepartak.