Find a solution in Tahiti before, possibly, considering a fallback site… While Paris 2024 is faced with a dispute which could call into question the holding of surfing events on the Teahupoo site, Tony Estanguet, head of the committee of The organization wishes to provide its support to the Polynesian government.
“As a partner of the Polynesian government, I want to put all my energy into supporting it, in order to find the best solutions to organize the surfing events in Tahiti, as we collectively wanted,” reacts Tony Estanguet. When there are difficulties we stick together. »
The new judges’ tower, built for the Games to replace the wooden tower, hitherto used for the World Cup events and which had been considered too dilapidated and too dangerous, continues to cause controversy. 3 weeks ago, Paris 2024 thought it had calmed the situation by proposing to reduce the size and weight of the new tower, so as to limit the drilling of the foundations and reduce environmental pollution. Paris 2024 also promised to involve environmental defenders.
“We anticipated things enough to still have a little time”
The problem is that last week, the test, organized to provide all the guarantees, turned into a fiasco, when the barge ran aground on the reef, damaging a piece of coral and destroying all the dialogue of recent weeks . The associations have thus stepped up to the plate, and it is now up to the Polynesian president to establish a new dialogue in order to try to provide a new solution and convince the associations. An exchange is planned on site on Sunday.
“We anticipated things enough to still have a little time ahead of us – even if we have less and less – to be able to adapt the project,” believes Tony Estanguet. We have already adapted it a lot in recent months, we still have a little time to find a technical solution, which will allow us to build this tower, while respecting the environment. This is the priority. I have complete confidence in the Polynesian government, in the company on site, to find solutions so that this barge can access the site without damaging the corals and can carry out work in the best conditions. »
If Lacanau, Hossegor, Biarritz and La Torche, unsuccessful candidates for the organization of the surfing events, have expressed their interest in the event of abandonment of Tahiti, Paris 2024, like the Minister of Sports and Games, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, refuses for the moment to mention a plan B. “We must give a solution a chance (in Tahiti), there is real expertise on the ground, Paris 2024 is in support. »
