‘Beacon of light’: How surfing’s Olympic inclusion helped Wright climb out of the darkness | VinceRugari
Australia’s first surfing medallist Owen Wright has credited the Olympics with changing his life, describing the inclusion of the sport in the Tokyo 2020 program as the “beacon of light” he needed after a debilitating concussion.
After clinching an historic bronze medal on Tuesday, Wright revealed how that announcement motivated him to keep the faith and throw himself into his bid for a professional return despite suffering through some horrific, nagging symptoms. “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.
Owen Wright takes a moment in the surf to let his bronze medal sink in as an Australian flag flutters in the foreground.Despite the often lifeless surf at Tsurigaski Beach near Tokyo - barely helped by the typhoon off the coast - the world’s top riders somehow fashioned some life out of the conditions. Mixed together with the usual dramatic tension of the Olympics, the final day of competition made for compulsive viewing.
Wright had Medina’s measure in the showdown for bronze but it was a nervous half-hour, which ended as his opponent embarked on an ultimately fruitless search for a wave of 5.98 points or better that would have won it.
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