The 2024 Olympics will feature surfing events on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, over 9,000 km from Paris, the host city. Tahiti's renowned waves, particularly at Teahupo'o, offer the challenging conditions required for Olympic-level surfing.
Traveling from Paris to Tahiti takes over 20 hours due to the lack of direct flights. The Teahupo'o waves, formed by the Pacific Ocean, can reach heights of 40 to 50 feet and are considered some of the most dangerous and beautiful in the world.
Olympic surfers will stay on a cruise ship rather than in Paris's Olympic Village, avoiding the infamous cardboard beds. Some local residents opposed the construction of new facilities, fearing harm to marine life and changes to the waves. Despite modifications to the plans, the construction proceeded.
Vocabulary:
• Venue: The place where an event or activity will happen.
• Reef: A ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea.
• Coral: Marine invertebrates that build reefs.
• Cruise ship: A large ship used for vacation trips, with accommodations and entertainment for passengers.
• Infamous: Well known for some bad quality or deed.
• Concerns: Worries or anxieties about a particular issue.
• Tweaked: Made small changes to something to improve it.
Source: South China Morning Post