In response to criticism, now 98% of Olympic housing will be within the homes of locals, with athletes accommodated on a cruise ship anchored nearby. The size of the judging tower has been scaled back and new infrastructure plans are being drawn up to minimize the need for new construction.
But concerns remain: Environmentalists and local fishers fear that drilling into the coral reef (to build an aluminum judging tower) could attract ciguatera, a microscopic algae that infects fish and makes people sick if eaten, and many sustain themselves by what they catch in the ocean.
In December, local fears were confirmed when a barge razed sections of coral on its way to the construction site on the reef. A video of the damage spread on social media, provoking an outcry.
The Olympics are pointless and dumb.
Not true. They make rich people richer at the expense of every one else
Wow you must be fun.
What else is pointless at dumb I wonder? Bet its not video games, bet it’s not cartoons, bet it’s not TV, what about drinking or a BBQ?
The Olympics are run by a deeply corrupt organization that profits from the exploitation of young people. Fuck’em.
Teahupo’o looks like such a scary wave.
It seems like the waves are powerful enough to drain the ocean.
It is, I lived in Tahiti and saw the wave during a code red up close, it’s truly mind bogglingly powerful.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
“It was a secret spot,” the surfer and Tahitian native remembered, as he stood on the pristine beaches of Teahupo’o on the island’s south side, waves crashing off in the distance.
Teahupo’o has since achieved world renown among surfers — the roaring wave garnered a reputation for its ferocious power — and will be home to the 2024 Paris Olympics surfing competition, scheduled from July 27 to Aug. 4.
The decision to host part of the Games here has thrust unprecedented challenges onto a small community that has long cherished and strives to protect a way of life more closely connected to wild lands and crystal-clear ocean than the fame promised by an Olympic stage.
The original proposed scale of the Olympic site – which called for new roads, housing units and even an aluminum judging tower that required drilling into the reef – caused a significant local backlash.
But concerns remain: Environmentalists and local fishers fear that drilling into the coral reef could attract ciguatera, a microscopic algae that infects fish and makes people sick if eaten, and many sustain themselves by what they catch in the ocean.
Born and raised in Teahupo’o, Gregory Parker’s morning routine consists of watching the waves crash along the horizon from his beachfront bungalow while smoking a cigarette.
The original article contains 1,178 words, the summary contains 215 words. Saved 82%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
