The president of French Polynesia has made bombshell comments that may force the surfing of the 2024 Olympics to take place at an insipid beachbreak rather than at the world-famous Teahupoo reef.
Much heat, you’ll remember, surrounds the building of a magnificent aluminium judging tower on the reef at a cost of five-mill US. Paris 2024 demolished the old wooden structure used by the WSL for years citing safety issues.
“This judge’s tower project will completely destroy a large part of the lagoon in the face of the most beautiful wave in the world! A construction worth over 500 million francs for 3-4 days of competition that won’t be reused for our local surfers!”
French Polynesian president Moetai Brotherson, who also supports independence from France, told the Pacific Islands Forum that by moving the three-day event to Taharuu, forty or so clicks back towards Papeete, “would have enabled us to avoid the problems we have today. At the time, it wasn’t possible. In view of the issues at stake and the protests today, perhaps we can revise this option.”
Teahupoo just beat out Taharuu as the choice for Paris 2024 following a visit by delegates in 2020.
In a response Paris 2024 organisers said in a statement,
“Tahiti was chosen because of the Teahupo’o site and its legendary wave, one of the most beautiful in the world.
“As our president, Tony Estanguet, recently pointed out, our priority today is to find a solution that will enable us to organise the surfing events of the Olympic Games in Tahiti, at the Teahupo’o site, in the best possible conditions.
“Discussions and studies will continue over the coming weeks to find a solution for organising the events on the Teahupo’o site. Along with all the stakeholders, and the Polynesian government in particular, Paris 2024 will continue to listen to all possible solutions to further improve the project. Dialogue and work will continue with environmental associations and local residents.”
So, yeah, still Teahupoo. For now.
Bad news for Filipe Toledo, whose struggles at Teahupoo have been well documented.
But with a little more heat applied maybe the Paris 2024 organisers lose their nerve and black sand Taharuu becomes the site of Toledo’s greatest triumph, Olympic gold.
A developing story, one imagines.
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