Why is surfing at the Paris 2024 Olympics taking place in Tahiti?
SURFING became an Olympic sport in Tokyo 2020 following years of campaigning.
At Paris 2024 the event is being held thousands of miles from the French capital — here’s everything you need to know.
Why is surfing at the Olympics taking place in Tahiti?
Olympic events are regularly held outside of the host city, but the surfing at the Paris 2024 Olympics is an extreme case — it is taking place on the other side of the world in Tahiti.
Because the island offers some of the best surfing conditions on the planet, it’s the perfect location to hold the competition, set to a backdrop of incredible views.
Tahiti was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until it was annexed by France in 1880 and proclaimed as one of its colonies, meaning its inhabitants became French citizens — the official language of the island is French.
In 1946, the French government decided to turn most of its colonies into départements — the largest unit of local government in France — and overseas territories.
Tahiti gained more autonomy in 2004, while still remaining under the country’s administration as part of French Polynesia.
When surfing was introduced as an Olympic sport in Tokyo 2020, it was held on a windy beach where the waves were not great, meaning the event wasn’t quite the spectacle it could have been.
So this time round organisers are doing their utmost to make sure the conditions are perfect.
Team GB Surfing’s performance coach Luke Dillon explained in The Sun: “Why not hold it off the coast of France? It’s primetime swell season over in Tahiti whereas in Europe during the summer the waves can be a bit detrimental.
“In French Polynesia they could be anywhere from eight feet to the height of a two-storey house, depending on the swell.
“Being an island out in the Pacific Ocean, it’s really deep and waves travel such a vast distance, breaking over a super-sharp, shallow coral reef.
“This acts almost like an underwater cliff and the ocean power makes the waves jump up, breaking very powerfully and tall.
“It is a speciality wave — we call it ‘getting barrelled’ — as surfers will disappear behind this big curl of water.
“That is quite dangerous so the competition will be filled with drama and excitement.”
The 28 athletes competing in Tahiti are being housed on a cruise ship off Tahiti, with people quick to joke on social media how much better the accommodation looks than the Olympic village in Paris.
One posted: “I would definitely prefer the cruise ship vibe for Olympic village than the cardboard beds.”
While another said: “The Olympic boat people definitely won best accommodations and view.”
How far is Tahiti from Paris?
The Olympic surfing is being held in Teahupo’o, Tahiti — the largest island in the French overseas territory of Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean.
The Island’s name translates into English as ‘wall of skulls’, and it is located roughly 9,300 miles (15,000km) from Paris.
In London 2012, the furthest event from the capital was sailing, which was held in Weymouth, while in Beijing 2008 the horse riding events took place in Hong Kong — 1200 miles away from the host city.
What are the two new sports in the 2024 Olympics?
Two entirely new sports are featuring at the Games, while three are returning for their second Olympics.
Breaking — also known as breakdancing — and kayak cross are making their debut at Paris 2024.
Surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing are returning to the competition, having made their first appearance at Tokyo 2020.
The introduction of these new sports is an effort by organisers to attract younger audiences.
According to the official Paris 2024 website, these events are “closely associated with youth and reward creativity and athletic performance”.
