Olympics-Surfing-Tears and gratitude as reigning champion Moore knocked out in Tahiti

FILE PHOTO: Carissa Moore, five-time world champion, leaves a beach after surfing near the Paris 2024 Olympics surfing site in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, French Polynesia, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

TEAHUPO'O, Tahiti (Reuters) - America's reigning Olympic champion Carissa Moore was knocked out of surfing's quarter-finals by France's Johanne Defay in Tahiti on Thursday, and said she couldn't imagine a better place to call time on her storied career.

The five-time world champion skipped this year's professional tour after just missing on adding another world title to her tally last year. She said she would likely hang up her competitive rash shirt and look to start a family after the Olympics.