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Olympic surfer's head injury underscores danger of competing on famous wave in Tahiti
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- Olympic surfer's head injury underscores danger of competing on famous wave in Tahiti
PARIS — Why would some Olympic surfers wear helmets during the Paris Games ?
Well, now we know.
Johanne Defay of France needed four stiches for a head wound Saturday, underscoring the danger of surfing at the famous Teahupo'o break in Tahiti. It's not just the powerful wave. It's the shallow, sharp coral reef.
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No helmet, no mercy.
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"Yesterday on my first wave I had a fall," Defay said. "It just went so big, I went straight into the coral with my head, I had four stitches.
"They made me go through the concussion protocols and the results were so-so, so they made me go through them all again this morning. … There's no trauma, so we're happy."
Before the Olympics started, American surfer Griffin Colapinto told USA TODAY he'd experimented with wearing a helmet during practice sessions at Teahupo'o. He said thought the equipment would be a common sight when the Games began.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olympic surfer gets four stitches after hitting head on coral reef
