Colin Jost is stepping out from behind the “Weekend Update” anchor desk to join NBCUniversal’s Olympics coverage — but he won’t be going to Paris.
Instead, the Saturday Night Live regular will be traveling to Tahiti to cover the surfing competition. The Pacific island is part of French Polynesia and will play host to the second ever surfing event at an Olympics (the sport made its debut at the Tokyo games in 2021).
While Jost, who’s a surfer in his own right, will be on the ground to interview athletes and preview the waves, the rest of NBCU’s surfing commentary team — play-by-play announcer Joe Turpel and analyst Michael Parsons — will call the action remotely from NBC Sports’ broadcast center in Stamford, Connecticut.
“Colin Jost hit the NBC Sports jackpot with an epic assignment covering surfing in Tahiti for the Paris Olympics,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer and president, production for NBC Olympics. “Although the setting is a little different than the “Weekend Update” desk in Studio 8H, Colin, an avid surfer, is going to bring his unique flair to reporting on the competition, athletes, and beautiful surroundings in one of the most breathtaking Olympic venues ever. Tune in to see if he catches a wave for America.”
Said Jost, “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 Writer’s Guild Health Insurance is excited to see what the coral reef does to my back.”
Jost is one of several people with SNL ties who will contribute to NBCUniversal’s Olympics coverage. Former cast member Leslie Jones will be in Paris as the “chief super fan correspondent,” and Kenan Thompson will co-host a Peacock highlights show with Kevin Hart.
