Paris to Tahiti- A Journey of 15,000 km.

 The Surfing Paradise

The surfer showcasing its skill during the competition. 

The 2024 Paris Olympics have concluded, with many highs and lows, record-breaking moments, thrills, and excitement. The event was historical, as for the first time in the history of games, women participants equaled the number of men participants, a very huge step towards gender equality. As always, the USA topped the medal table, followed by China, and hosts France finished fifth. But in today's blog we are not discussing the performances of athletes or teams or an overview of the tournament.

 

To host this prestigious event, countries and cities spent millions of dollars for the infrastructure, games village, transport, accommodation, etc. Many facilities and venues are built to cater to different sports. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, around 35 venues were selected to host various sporting disciplines. Out of these, 34 venues were located in mainland France, and the only venue that was assigned to host the surfing competitions was at Teahupo'o in Tahiti, a French colony situated approximately 15,000 km . away from Paris. But why was this venue chosen for the competition? Let's find out. 

 

Surfing was added to the Olympics in the 2020 event, which was held in Tokyo, Japan. The competition of surfing was held forty miles away from Tokyo in Chiba City. But the event did not go as planned as it was to be because the waves for surfing were not very high. After a series of delays, the two events (men and women) ended in three days. 

 

Cut to 2024, the Paris Olympic Committee proposed two cities in mainland France for the events, but the waves were not suitable for the competition (as the waves were too choppy and fat for surfing). At last, the committee decided Tahiti was the best spot for the sport. Being a part of French Polynesia, a French group  of colonies, Tahiti is world-famous for its surfing waves, as they were among the biggest, smoothest, and heaviest waves in the world. The event was a success and brought revenue to Tahiti. The athletes, support staff, and media were all accommodated in a cruise ship named Aranui 5, the first Olympic village in water. As surfing made its mark at the world's most prestigious sporting event, the International Olympic Committee is planning to introduce more disciplines in the sport in the future games.

 

See you surfing in the LA 2028 Olympics! 

The Teahupo'o village, named after the wave of same name.
One of the best waves for surfing. 

Thank You, 

Sarthak P. Khode 😊

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