Paris to stage 2024 Olympic surfing events 10,000 miles away in Tahiti
Olympics organisers have selected the Polynesian island of Tahiti to stage surfing events at the 2024 Olympics.
Host city Paris is almost 10,000 miles from the remote island, which has been selected over alternative sites in Brittany or Biarritz on France’s western coast.
The decision to host surfing events in Tahiti is still subject to clearance from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
A post on the official Paris 2024 twtter feed said: "One of the most beautiful waves in the world for [a] spectacular Games! Paris 2024 chooses the wave of Teahupo'o in Tahiti to host the Surf event! Next step: IOC validation."
But receiving the IOC's stamp of approval may prove a significant stumbling block. Back in June, president of the IOC Thomas Bach said: “The choice is in the hands of the [French] organising committee.
“But I said in June, and I haven’t changed my mind, that my personal opinion is that if you have two or more candidate sites, of the same sporting level, I definitely prefer the option that is closest to the centre of the Games, so that the athletes and spectators can profit from the atmosphere of the Olympics.”
Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, with a population of around 200,000.
