Report ! M.Naveed
 |
On Thursday 13th June, French Polynesia honoured its athletes and also celebrated its wealth of heritage. The collective relay organised by the Tahiti Surfing Federation and led by legendary Tahitian surfer Hira Teriinatoofa was one of the highlights of the stage. At the end of the day, Michel Bourez, another of the discipline’s prodigies, lit the celebration cauldron at the celebration venue in Papeete.
ILLUMINATING THE INCREDIBLE TREASURES OF FRENCH POLYNESIA
The Olympic Torch Relay continued its journey to the farthest reaches of the oceans and French Polynesia was the third overseas territory to welcome it. This visit was an opportunity for the Relay to discover the region’s unique cultural heritage and a variety of landscapes, oscillating between azure-blue lagoons, mysterious caves and craggy peaks.
The day began with a nod to the surfing competitions at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with a visit to Teahupo’o, on the island of Tahiti. From there, the Olympic Torch was taken north-westwards to Teva I Uta, where it made its way among the hundreds of varieties of exotic flowers, plants and trees in the Harrison Smith Botanical Gardens, to Motu Ovini, a peaceful spot by the sea.
The adventure continued in Papara, which is famous for its beach of black sand that stretches for over ten kilometres, then in Taiarapu-Est, with its breathtaking landscapes and the turquoise waters of Paea. Further north, Papenoo combines beaches of black sand, an incredible surfing spot and wild valleys. A trip by pirogue took the Olympic Torch to the Pointe Vénus cape, before visiting the tomb of King Pomare V, the last king of Tahiti.
The day finished in Papeete, lighting up the sports sites and infrastructures of the capital. The Olympic Torch’s journey through the city began in Pirae, at the Parc Aorai Tini Hau park, which is much appreciated by families. It then visited Place Vai’ete, situated on the seafront and the Jardins de Paofai gardens, a four-hectare piece of parkland also on the coast, and headed to the Willy Bambridge sports complex, inaugurated at the end of the 1960s, before completing the day at Place de To’ata.
