Paris (AFP)
The Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (Cojo) of Paris-2024 made official Thursday the choice of the Polynesian island of Tahiti to host the surfing events, to the detriment of three candidates in the south-west of the metropolis and one in Britain.
Shortboard events, played by 24 men and 24 women, will take place at the Teahupoo site, known for offering one of the most powerful waves, spectacular and perilous in the world, decided the members of the board of directors of Paris -2024, which brings together the stakeholders of the Olympic Games (Cojo, State, communities, sports movement).
This choice must be validated by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on January 8th.
"This is a very pleasant surprise and the recognition of our history, is to give back its titles of nobility in Polynesia where the surfing started", reacted with the AFP the president of the Tahitian surfing federation, Lionel teihotu.
Located in the South Pacific Ocean, 15,000 km from Paris, with a time difference of twelve hours, the Polynesian island, stage of the male pro surf circuit, was in competition with three sites in the south-west of the metropolis ( Biarritz, Lacanau and Hossegor-Seignosse-Capbreton) and one in Brittany (La Torche).
According to the Cojo, the criteria of financial cost or environmental impact did not make it possible to clearly distinguish the candidatures, but "the sporting criterion" made the difference.
Teahupoo offers much stronger guarantees of sufficient swell for optimal waves during the summer period, said the Cojo, who commissioned a study at Météo France.
This choice raises questions, however, because Teahupoo is not surfed by women as part of their professional circuit, the wave being considered at the moment too dangerous for the female category.
"We can put the girls at a time of the day when the waves are less powerful, we have the means to predict that now, and it will allow the girls to surf also Teahupoo", believes Lionel Teihotu.
"All 48 athletes participating in competitions will have the opportunity to experience the second week of the Games from the Olympic Village, in the heart of their delegation, in Paris and Seine Saint-Denis, and to participate in the closing ceremony. ", also specified Paris-2024.
The Board of Cojo also approved Thursday the choice of the Place de la Concorde to host, on the Olympic fortnight (July 26, August 11, 2024) five urban sports: skateboarding, BMX freestyle, breakdance, basketball 3x3, climbing.
© 2019 AFP