Olympic surfing will take place in Tahiti no matter what; "there is no plan B," said the French sports minister today
What the barge did, “was not well prepared, was not handled appropriately and unfortunately damaged parts of the coral, which is obviously unfortunate,” he added.
French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said there is no plan B to hold Olympic surfing anywhere other than Tahiti. “We are on the right track. We are on the way to building a new tower and with a different size that corresponds to the request made by the locals,” she told reporters on Thursday, December 7.
The minister acknowledged that the test carried out by the barge was not satisfactory: “It was not well prepared and was not conducted appropriately and unfortunately it damaged parts of the coral, which is obviously regrettable,” she said.
"The next one has to be meticulously prepared," he added.
The president of Tahiti, Moetai Brotherson, went so far as to propose that the games not be held in his archipelago. The possibility was flatly rejected by the minister.
Tahitian locals are calling for the wooden tower used by the WSL to be used, and Tahiti and Paris 2024 say that the tower does not meet safety standards for use.
