Olympics-Safety is Paris 2024's priority, Games boss says amid surfing tower row

FILE PHOTO: People protesting plans to build a new judging tower for the Paris 2024 Olympic surfing event in Tahiti gather outside the headquarters of the International Surfing Association in Cardiff near San Diego, California, U.S. December 2, 2023. David Anderson/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - Safety is Paris 2024's top priority, organising committee president Tony Estanguet said on Thursday after the construction of a judging tower for the surfing competition at next year's Olympics was stopped because of environmental concerns.

Last week, a barge bringing the aluminium tower to the Tahiti site of Teahupo'o damaged the coral reef, bringing work to a halt.