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NBC sent Colin Jost out to Tahiti to cover surfing at the 2024 Olympic Games, which once appeared to be the most coveted assignment in the field. After seeing the Saturday Night Live host’s stay to this point, one might change their mind!
Jost has somehow managed to turn his lush Tahitian trip into an absolute disaster, running into each and every bump in the road.
While most Olympians compete in Paris, there are others forced to take part in the games off site.
The most notable group includes the surfers, who were flown out to Tahiti – the largest island in French Polynesia – due to the summer not offering prime conditions for big waves off France’s coast.
There, they’ve been set up either in the first-ever floating Olympic Village, or in rental houses depending on preference.
Sights have been incredible as the surfers flaunt their lavish accommodations in comparison to other Olympic athletes currently sleeping on cardboard beds.
@carolinemarks1 We made it! 🇺🇸 #olympics #teamusa #surftok #olympian ♬ original sound – summer audios
Colin Jost has been able to take part in this adventure, avoiding some of the issues experienced back in France’s capital city.
How he got that gig, not even wife Scarlett Johansson knows!
“How did he get this gig?” the actress asked on the Today Show. “He loves surfing… Somehow, the dream became a reality, and now he’s going to be in Tahiti for two weeks.”
Unfortunately, he’s having a hard time enjoying his trip!
Colin Jost is not having fun.
Checking in with @ColinJost….
Sounds like things are going GREAT 😂@NBCOlympics & @peacock pic.twitter.com/L6vdJJDNmP
— Maria Taylor (@MariaTaylor) July 28, 2024
While filling viewers in on his Olympic trip, he detailed the unexpected hiccups he’s run into along the way, the most notable of which is a foot injury that may now be infected.
“There were some obstacles that I did not anticipate, for example… I have gotten some open wounds on my foot from hitting coral reef. I have been walking in circles… because if I stand still, ants begin crawling inside the wounds…
“Also, earlier I was talking to Mike Tirico from in the water… while I was talking to him, someone came by and talked to one of our producers, and said, ‘Hey, what’s he doing in there? Doesn’t he know that there are stonefish right there? Yesterday, somebody stepped on one and it was so poisonous, he had to be medically evacuated off the island.’ They withheld that information from me until the interview was concluded.”
Jost says he’s seen the medical staff more than the athletes! He seems to have the evidence to prove it.
He posted a photo of his injury on Instagram earlier this week.
“It feels like being a war correspondent and saying, ‘Hey, Army, can I have a band-aid?’ The medical staff at this point, they know my name, they know my badge ID number, they know that I’m allergic to penicillin.
“They started saying, ‘We need to see you every day… because the infection hasn’t improved.’”
Things haven’t gotten off to the best start for the comedian, but here’s to hoping his experience gets better as the event continues on.