Colin Jost Leaves Olympics Post in Tahiti: Health Update
- Colin Jost reportedly left his 2024 Olympics surfing post in Tahiti after developing multiple infections.
- He told viewers about a staph infection in his foot last week, and has since been diagnosed with an ear infection.
- He hasn’t given a reason for his departure and denied “rumors of [his] death” in a cheeky Instagram.
NBC’s Paris Olympics 2024 surfing correspondent Colin Jost has reportedly left his post in Tahiti after developing multiple infections. That means he’s missing the surfing semi-finals and finals, which were delayed until August 6 due to sub-optimal conditions. According to Deadline, NBC replaced the Saturday Night Live star with Luke Bradnam, a weatherman from Channel Nine in Australia.
In a recent interview with NBC Olympics grandmaster Mike Tirico, Jost revealed that he was being treated for an ear infection. “I woke up to discover that I had added ear infection to my growing list of ailments,” he said, referring to the coral reef injury his foot sustained shortly after arrival, and the consequential staph infection he developed. “I’m now on three different medications… four, if you count piña coladas,” he continued. “And my new goal, by the time I leave here, is to have as many infections as there are Olympic events.”
Jost reported from the pool, reclined in a chaise lounge chair. “The doctor told me that I can’t get my foot wet because of the coral reef infection, and I can’t get my head wet because of the inner ear infection. But to me, that doesn’t mean my torso and waist can’t still enjoy the pool,” he joked.
On July 26, Jost shared a photo of his bloodied toes and later shared a shot of them bandaged, writing: “You know it’s going great when you’ve been to the Olympic medical tent more than any of the athletes.”
He has yet to give a reason for his departure from Tahiti, and hasn’t confirmed that it’s health-related. According to Deadline, Jost’s stint was always supposed to be short-term, and it’s unclear if he will join his NBC peers in Paris or elsewhere. In his most recent Instagram, Jost shared a pre-recorded (per Deadline) interview from Tahiti in which he interrogated a local “wall of skulls.”
“I’m alive. With journalism,” was written on the footage. In the caption, Jost wrote: “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Semis and finals of Olympic surfing happening right now in Tahiti. At the Wall of Skulls.”
Wherever Jost ends up, we hope he’s feeling better.
Kayla Blanton is a freelance writer-editor who covers health, nutrition, and lifestyle topics for various publications including Prevention, Everyday Health, SELF, People, and more. She’s always open to conversations about fueling up with flavorful dishes, busting beauty standards, and finding new, gentle ways to care for our bodies. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University with specializations in women, gender, and sexuality studies and public health, and is a born-and-raised midwesterner living in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and two spoiled kitties.
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