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Surfing will make its debut in the upcoming Paris Olympics in a few months. The event is set to be organized at Tahiti, the land of the best surfing wave, Teahupo’o.
However, amidst the ongoing preparations at the beautiful island, the Olympic surfing committee faced questions about harming the natural environment at Tahiti. The organization recently commented on how they are planning to prepare for the championship without disturbing the natural beauty of the place.
In an interview with The Guardian on July 1, Barbara Martins-Nio, the general manager of the 2024 Paris Olympics committee addressed concerns about damage to the environment of Tahiti. She mentioned that the Olympics team working on the island was paying special attention to environmental safety despite facing hurdles in their work process.
The Olympics organizing general manager said:
“We have really tried to adapt to the site and to the environment in the interests of the population of Teahupo’o, even though this has caused a lot of logistical difficulties… but we really want to be respectful.”
Previously, the Surfing Olympics committee had proposed to set up an Olympics Village in the region for its athletes.
They also planned to build a bridge over the place’s river and also renovate hotels for their players, judges, and logistics. However, these high-process construction plans led to concerns from the 1500 residents in Tahiti over environmental damage.
After months of discussion between the residents, government, and the Olympic committee in Tahiti, the competition's stakeholders have agreed to adhere to minimum infrastructural developments in Tahiti.
However, despite the difficulties, the Olympics organizing committee is planning to build a necessary bridge over the region's river with the Tahiti government’s permission. To facilitate comfortable living for the players, they will also arrange for fiber internet services and clean drinking water.
Athletes who qualified for surfing at the 2024 Paris Olympics
From May 30 to June 7, fans witnessed the action at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador. The event was graced by some of the world’s greatest surfers. At the end of the championship, the organizers selected eight surfers who qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The list includes four male and four female surfers. South Africa’s Jordy Smith and Sarah Baum, Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi and Shino Matsuda, French surfers Vahine Fierro and Kauli Vaast and lastly, New Zealand’s Billy Stairmand and Saffi Vette have successfully qualified for next year’s prestigious championship.
The highly anticipated event will take place from July 27 to July 30 at Teahupo'o Beach, Tahiti.
