Neocolonialism and environmental impact in Tahiti: a case study on the venue for the surfing competitions of the 2024 Olympic Games

This thesis critically investigates the neocolonial dimensions of France’s ongoing influence over Tahiti, with a focused case study on the environmental and socio-political ramifications of selecting Teahupo’o as the surfing venue for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Tahiti, situated within French Polynesia, embodies a complex postcolonial legacy marked by historical colonial abuses, notably nuclear testing and cultural disruptions. The continuity of colonial history appears uninterrupted, as further evidenced by the United Nations’ 2013 decision to reclassify Tahiti as a Non-Self-Governing territory. This research situates the legacy of colonial exploitation within contemporary contexts, revealing how the 2024 Olympic Games functioned not merely as a global sporting event but as a sophisticated instrument of neocolonial appropriation that exacerbates ecological vulnerability amidst climate change pressures. The central research question guiding this study is: Do the 2024 Paris Olympic surfing events in Tahiti exemplify a modern form of French neocolonialism, and what are the specific environmental impacts associated with this sporting endeavor? Responding to this question, the thesis aims to augment academic understanding of the power relations between France, a former colonial power, and Tahiti, a semi-autonomous French overseas collectivity (Collectivité d’Outre-mer). Through this case study, the research exposes the persistence of neocolonial dynamics, employing the 2024 Olympic surfing event as a critical lens to interrogate how elite international spectacles can operate as vehicles for sustaining colonial power asymmetries, particularly through environmental exploitation. The study employs a mixed-methods approach comprising a systematic literature review, qualitative interviews with stakeholders, including local Tahitian community members and global surfing communities, and autoethnographic reflections derived from surf culture. This triangulated approach allows for a nuanced exploration of the intersections between neocolonialism, environmental degradation, and surf culture, grounding the study in both empirical data and lived experience. The findings articulate a significant dissonance between the scheduled imposition of Olympic infrastructural developments and indigenous Mā’ohi epistemologies, revealing fears among local communities of irreversible damage to reef ecosystems and the social tensions engendered by exclusionary decision-making processes. The research identifies uneven distributions of environmental risks and economic benefits, which reproduce colonial patterns of dispossession and marginalization. Importantly, the case study illustrates how mega-sporting events, like the Olympics, can serve as a contemporary Trojan horse, cloaking neocolonial control and environmental injustice under the rhetoric of sustainable development and global celebration. Overall, this thesis contributes substantively to academic discourses on postcolonial studies, environmental justice, and sports sociology by providing concrete evidence and linking neocolonial practices with environmental degradation through the lens of a high-profile international event. It advances the conversation beyond abstract theoretical frameworks by presenting an empirically grounded, context-specific example with profound implications for indigenous sovereignty, environmental governance, and international sporting event ethics. Ultimately, the study calls for critical reassessment of global sporting practices and policy frameworks, advocating for decolonial strategies that center indigenous knowledge and environmental stewardship in host territories.