What has Tahiti got to do with the Paris Olympics?
To give you some context, Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia.
And, French Polynesia is an overseas territory of France located in the Pacific Ocean.
If you search this country on Google Earth, you'll find yourself in the middle of nowhere.
Now the fun part is, that Tahiti is an Olympic venue for all surfing events.
But among many other French territories, how come the organisers chose Tahiti, which is a whopping 15,715 kilometres from mainland France or as the French call it 'l'hexagone'?
Some of the reasons are:
1). French Polynesia is home to the best waves in the world particularly in Tahiti's Teahupo'o where the mega event is being held.
2). Interestingly, this overseas French territory is widely recognised as the birthplace of surfing.
With that said, here are some fascinating facts about Tahiti's surprising involvement in the 2024 Paris Olympics:
1). When two ends meet: The distance between Paris and Tahiti is approximately 9,765 miles (15,715 kilometres), making it the furthest distance between an Olympic host city and a venue. This surpasses the previous record held by the 1956 Olympics, where Stockholm hosted the equestrian events while the main games were held in Melbourne.
2). A floating athlete village?: Really? Yes, you got that right. Like Paris has its Olympic village in the city to accommodate athletes, Tahiti has a cruise ship (Aranui 5)!! A fun ride for the surfers and their support staff.
3). A first for Pacific Islands: Tahiti became the first-ever Pacific Island to host an Olympic event.
4). Not the first-cross continent Olympics: This is the second time in the history of the Summer Games that events are held in two continents. The feat was previously achieved during the 1956 Olympics.
In a nutshell, the Parisian streets have met the Pacific shores.
#parisolympics #tahiti #paris2024 #olympics #parisgames2024
Air Tahiti Nui International Surfing Association (ISA) International Olympic Committee – IOC
Data Scientist | Data Analyst | Machine Learning | Economist | Financial Analyst | Sports Enthusiast
2moBarbados should try and attract the iron man triathlon as well.