It might be tempting to view Jack Robinson winning an Olympics surfing silver medal, Australia’s second medal in the sport since it was added at the last Games, as the culmination of a destiny foretold. But this is a tale far more complex and impressive than that.
Robinson, 26, has been surfing since he could walk, on fearsome Western Australian waves. Before he was even a teen, he had signed a big sponsorship deal and been declared “the next Kelly Slater”. As a youngster, he was one of the best barrel riders in the world before reaching adulthood. A World Surf League title seemed inevitable – with Robinson the successor to a longstanding Australian legacy in world surfing, following in the footsteps of the likes of Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson.
