The 2024 Olympic Games, hosted by the world’s fashion capital, Paris, opened amid much fanfare on Friday.
What’s notable about this edition of the Summer Games is that for the first time in 68 years an Olympic event is being held 15,771 kilometres (9,800 miles) away from the host city. 48 of the best surfers will take on the crests of the world’s most fearsome waves off the coast of Teahupo’o, a tiny village on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti.
As well as surfing, sailing events and football matches will also be held in Marseille and Bordeaux respectively – two venues away from Paris. The two venues for the sailing events and football matches are a few hundred kilometres from the host city, but the surfing event will still be the furthest from the French capital.
The last time the International Olympic Committee held the Games away from the host country was when Melbourne hosted the Games in 1956. The equestrian competition was held in Stockholm, Sweden, a long way from the trans-Tasmanian region. This was due to Australia’s equestrian quarantine policies, which forced the IOC to hold the competition in an equestrian-friendly country.
For the 2024 Summer Games, Paris officials reportedly said hosting the surfing event on the island of Tahiti is linked to the intention to “spread the sport throughout France.” Tahiti, located in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, won the rights to host surfing in 2020, before the sport makes its Summer Games debut at the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
This year the Games will see a first-of-its-kind floating Olympic Village, as a cruise ship fitted with state-of-the-art facilities is set to serve as a place for Olympic surfers to stay.
This will be a tough test for surfers as Tahiti surf breaks are world-renowned for their iconic waves.
Surfing competition format
The 48 surfers – 24 men and 24 women – will be divided into eight heats, with three surfers in each heat. In surfing, a “heat” is a competitive round in which surfers compete against each other to get the highest points for their wave rides. During the heats, surfers take turns catching waves within a certain time limit, which typically ranges from 20 to 30 minutes.
The winners of the first round will advance to the Round of 16, while the losers will compete in a head-to-head elimination round.
The Round of 16 has eight heats, with two surfers facing each other in each heat. The winners will advance to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and then the final. However, the losers in the semifinals will play each other for the bronze medal.