Work to resume at Tahiti's legendary Olympic surfing site after uproar over damage to coral reef
Organizers of the Paris Olympics say work will resume this week to prepare the surfing venue in Tahiti after an uproar over damage to a coral reef put efforts on hold
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Organizers of the Paris Olympics say work will resume this week to prepare the surfing venue in Tahiti, after an uproar over damage to a coral reef put efforts on hold.
Teahupo'o is famed on the surfing circuit for its big waves, but fierce concerns in Tahiti for marine life have proven to be a challenge for Olympics organizers as they head into 2024, less than 230 days out from the Summer Games.
Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris Olympics organizing committee, said Monday that preparations at Teahupo'o will start again this week. The resumption comes after the president of French Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, held talks with groups on the island that are concerned about plans to build a tower for surfing judges and television cameras in the Teahupo'o lagoon, fearing it will damage the coral reefs.
Work stopped earlier this month at the site after coral was damaged during a test of a barge meant to transport the aluminum judging tower into the lagoon so it can be fixed onto planned concrete foundations.
The test “went very badly," Estanguet acknowledged.
A smaller barge has now been located “to not damage the coral,” and a route for it through the reef to the construction site will be found and marked out this week, he said.
Work to erect the tower should start by the end of the year so it will be operational for a surfing competition at Teahupo'o in May that will test the venue's readiness for the Olympics in July, Estanguet said.
“We welcome this progress,” he said.
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.