Why is Olympic surfing being held in Tahiti? Water sport breaks record for whopping 9,760-mile distance from Paris
Surfing returns for its second year at the Olympics this summer but the Paris 2024 event is set to break a long-standing record.
The event will take place in Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia that is a whopping 9,760 miles away from the country's capital.
That distance means history has been made, with surfing becoming the farthest Olympic medal competition held outside a host city since 1956.
But why is it being held on the other side of the world? talkSPORT.com has taken a look…
Why is Olympic surfing being held in Tahiti?
The surfing event is being held in Tahiti to ‘align with Paris 2024’s ambition to spread the Games across France’.
Tahiti is in French Polynesia which is an island in the Pacific Ocean possessed by France.
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The official Olympics website explains the decision by saying: “It offers an opportunity to engage French overseas territories and their communities in the Olympic Games - for the first time in history - while showcasing France’s rich and diverse heritage.”
It has been chosen to host the event over beach options in mainland France, such as Brittany or Biarritz on France’s Atlantic coast.
Athletes will compete in Tahiti’s Teahupo'o wave in the South Pacific.
The village of Teahupo’o has hosted world surfing competitions for decades and surfers will all know of the legendary location already due to its history with the sport.
Surfing at the Paris Olympics will begin on Saturday, July 27 and the medals are expected to be handed out on Wednesday, July 31.
However, there are some reserve days in place up to August 5 if conditions aren’t safe.
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Due to the distance, it also means there is a huge time difference between Tahiti and France.
Tahiti is 10 hours behind Paris, so events will be broadcast in the evening in Europe while they are held in the morning locally.
You can keep track of all the surfing action from Teahupo’o live on talkSPORT this summer.
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