Following her elimination in the quarterfinals of women's surfing, Carissa Moore expressed gratitude towards her husband, Luke Untermann, for his unwavering support. The elimination marked the conclusion of Moore's campaign in Paris.
Moore competed against French surfer Johanne Defay in the second heat of the quarterfinal. The American surfer gathered 3.50 on wave 1 and 3.00 on wave 2, totaling the points to 6.50. Defay took a comprehensive lead with 10.34 points, scoring 5.67 in wave 1 and 4.67 in wave 2, ending Moore's hopes of defending her Olympic gold medal.
Following her elimination, she turned to social media to share an emotional message. Moore shared a touching photo with her husband after the loss, stating that despite facing a tough result, the love and support from her husband brought her immense comfort and strength.
"Had to repost this Olympic moment with my husband after yesterday’s loss," she wrote. "As heartbreaking as it was, this photo brings me the greatest comfort. I was overwhelmed with emotion after going through the press line and just broke down in his arms.
"Throw whatever you want at me, I’ll be okay because I’ll never have to face it alone," she added. "I’m smiling today because I’ve been fortunate enough to find this kind of love in this life."
After meeting in the high school for the first time, Moore and Untermann exchanged their wedding vows on December 16, 2017.
"I wouldn’t have had it any other way" - Carissa Moore reflects on her 2024 Paris Olympic campaign
Carissa Moore competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics as the defending champion. She decided to remain absent from the World Surf League (WSL) in 2023 to train for the quadrennial Games.
Moore honed her skills at the Olympic surf site in Tahiti for two months ahead of the Paris Games. After her Olympic quest ended in Teahupo’o, she reflected on her journey and conveyed her satisfaction, saying she applied her best efforts.
"I took a chance, I left the tour," she wrote. "I came here and spent months out of the year just trying to do my very best. And when you come up short of a dream, it sucks. But at the same time, how fun was it? I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I would’ve been so bummed if I looked back and had done this halfheartedly. I went all in."
Carissa Moore secured the Olympic gold medal in surfing at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games, the first edition to feature the sport.