By Julien Pretot
PARIS (Reuters) – Paris 2024 organisers are sticking to their choice of Tahiti’s Teahupo’o site for the Olympics surfing competition despite local opposition amid a dispute over the construction of an aluminium tower that residents say would damage the coral reef.
The idyllic lagoon-side village has long hosted some of the best contests on the professional World Surf League’s (WSL) championship tour, using a modest wooden tower for judges on the reef that is dismantled after every event.
Paris 2024, which has highlighted its ambition to minimise the Games’ environmental impacts, plans to spend nearly $5 million to build a much larger tower with toilets, air-conditioning and space for 40 people that it says is needed to meet safety standards.
An online petition calling for the scrapping of plans for the 14-metre (45 foot) aluminium scaffolding and 800 m (half-mile) service channel through the reef had gathered almost 150,000 signatures by Wednesday.
French Polynesia president Moetai Brotherson on Wednesday said the surfing events for the Summer Games could be moved to the Taharuu, on Tahiti’s West coast.
“That 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,” Brotherson was quoted as saying by French media at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
Paris 2024 said it wished to find a solution through dialogue.
“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,” Paris 2024 organisers said in a statement to Reuters.
“Tahiti was chosen because of the Teahupo’o site and its legendary wave, one of the most beautiful in the world.
“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.”
The International Surfing Association (ISA), which is in charge of the surfing competition at the Olympics, was not immediately available for comment
The Paris 2024 Olympics will be held from July 26-Aug. 11.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
