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Colin Jost's Toes Were Injured Covering Olympic Surfing and His Reaction Is Hilarious
The Saturday Night Live cast member shared a photo of his toe injury with a self-deprecating caption.
Colin Jost's toes came in close contact with coral reef while covering surfing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Saturday Night Live "Weekend Update" anchor landed the coveted job of being the surfing correspondent at the Summer Games. Jost has been reporting from Teahupo’o, Tahiti, where the surfers are competing — but judging from Jost's Instagram, it looks like reporting from paradise does pose some dangers.
"You know it’s going great when you’ve been to the Olympic medical tent more than any of the athletes," he wrote in the post's caption.
RELATED: Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost to Cover 2024 Olympic Surfing in Tahiti
What happened to Colin Jost's toes in Tahiti?
Colin Jost appeared to cut several of his toes while surfing.
Jost shared an image of his foot with three of his toes wrapped in bandages in a July 29 Instagram post. The injuries happened while he was trying to surf the iconic locale, which is surrounded by a huge reef, posing a risk to the surfers. As the water pulls back and the waves rise into the air, the water becomes increasingly shallow, exposing surfers to the reef.
"I did pretty well until the first wave and then I ended up standing on the coral reef,” Jost said. “Much like the coral reef safety expert, but without coral shoes on. So I got a little scraped up."
Thankfully, according to NBC's commentators, the organizers keep slices of lime in the boats so surfers can douse their cuts with acidic juice and disinfect their wounds. And Jost has confirmed that medics are keeping an eye on his injuries, too.
"They started saying, ‘We need to see you every day.’ At first I was like, ‘Oh my God, guys, I like you too!’” Jost told NBC Sports' Maria Taylor. “And they were like, ‘No, it’s because the infection hasn’t improved.’”
This isn't even the first time Jost has shared an image of his hurt foot. On Friday, July 26, the SNL cast member posted a pic of the same foot, with his toes bloodied.
"This might ruin my WikiFeet score but I just arrived in Tahiti for the surfing Olympics and the reef was excited to greet me," he wrote.
During a visit to TODAY on July 8, Jost's wife, actress Scarlett Johansson, was asked by Savannah Guthrie what she thought of Jost getting to travel to Tahiti for work.
“I’m like, how did he get this gig? I just want to know," she told Guthrie.
“When they announced the Paris Olympics, he immediately found out that they were doing the surf competition in Tahiti, which is so cool. He loves to surf, we have a place in Montauk, he’s always out there surfing,” she continued.
“And somehow the dream became a reality, and now he’s going to be in Tahiti for two weeks, and I’m like, ‘Poor you,’” Johansson joked, mimicking a fake tear rolling down her cheek.
Jost must have already been familiar with how coral reef can be a killer. Back in June, when he was announced as the correspondent for the surfing competition, Jost said in a press release, “I’m honored to get to watch the best surfers in the world compete on one of the heaviest waves imaginable, and to help showcase the rich history of surfing in Tahiti."
“And my Writers Guild Health Insurance is excited to see what the coral reef does to my back," he added.
Jost isn't the only one to have been injured while out on the water. Australian Jack Robinson was injured while practicing earlier in the week, cutting his foot on a fin while getting out of the water. And then, in his heat on Monday, Robinson was pulled under the water and nearly drowned, though the athlete noted this is par for the course when you're surfing waves like Teahupo'o.
"Every other sport is in a court or a stadium," he said, per The Telegraph. "We are in an ocean. It is the biggest, most powerful source of life we have on this planet."
RELATED: Olympic Surfing 2024: Where to Watch, Full Schedule
When will Olympics surfing competition take place?
The 2024 Games will only be the second time the sport is being featured since its debut at Tokyo 2020. Surfing is set to take place over four days within a nine-day competition window from July 27-August 5.
