Caroline Marks takes women's surfing crown for Team USA's 79th medal

Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Caroline Marks weathered unfavorable conditions and ripped into a barrel, slicing through the wave and escaping clean to edge Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb to give Team USA its 21st gold medal of Paris 2024 Olympics.

"I'm so honored and so happy," Marks, the No. 2 ranked women's surfer in the World Surf League, told NBC. "This is just incredible and I'm so emotional. So happy to do this for my family and everyone back home. Wow, I'm just so happy."

The Brazilian and American battled short, sloppy waves for the majority of the competition hosted off the beaches of Teahupo'o, Tahiti. They still managed to impress judges with quick turns and sustained rides. Marks posted a 7.50 on her first run and a 3.0 on her second.

Weston-Webb scored a 5.83 on her initial ride. She needed a 4.68 on her second, but recorded a 4.50, resulting in a gold medal for Marks.

Weston-Webb earned a silver medal. France's Johanne Defay beat Costa Rica's Brisa Hennessy for the women's bronze.

France's Kauli Vaast beat Australian Jack Robinson for the men's gold. Brazilian Gabriel Medina beat Peru's Alonso Correa for the men's bronze.

American Carissa Moore, who won gold when surfing made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, lost to Defay in the quarterfinals.

Team USA's John John Florence, the No. 1 ranked men's surfer in the World Surf League, lost to Robinson in the third round.

The Americans totaled eight medals, including two gold Monday, the 13th day of the Olympics. Valarie Allman took the first gold of the day for the Americans in the women's discus throw.

China's Feng Bin earned silver, while Croatian Sandra Elkasevic won bronze in the event.

Hailey van Lith, Ryhne Howard, Dearica Hamby and Cierra Burdick led Team USA to a win over Canada in the bronze medal match of the women's 3x3 basketball tournament.

Sam Kendricks earned silver in the men's pole vault final. Sweden's Armand Duplantis and Greece's Emmanouil Karalis snatched respective gold and bronze medals from that event.

Team USA's Austen Jewell Smith and Vincent Hancock lost to Italy in the skeet shooting mixed team gold medal match. China earned a bronze medal.

Gymnasts Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles won respective silver and bronze medals in the floor exercise final. Brazilian Rebeca Andrade took the gold.

Seth Rider, Taylor Spivey, Morgan Pearson and Taylor Knibb earned the first medal of the day for the Americans, finishing second in the triathlon mixed relay. Germany won that event, while Great Britain placed third.

Entering Tuesday's events, Team USA's 79 medals were 26 more than second-place China (53). France (48), Great Britain (42) and Australia (33) are the other Top 5 medalists. Team USA and China are tied in gold medals, with an Olympics-best 21 apiece.