As the world counts down with bated breath to the beginning of the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, Australia has its eyes firmly planted on the future – namely, hosting a third Olympics. Brisbane has since been named as the International Olympic Committee’s “preferred partner” to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.
After meeting on Wednesday to discuss future plans concerning the Olympic Games, the IOC’s executive board approved a recommendation from the newly formed commission in charge of future hosts to proceed a “targeted dialogue” with south-east Queensland bid officials. Under this new selection process, this approval already has many questioning if a third Olympic Games could be on the cards, with many believing Brisbane will simply follow in the footsteps of Melbourne and Sydney in becoming an Olympic host city.
As The Guardian reports, IOC president Thomas Bach said the IOC’s executive board has unanimously approved the recommendation of the bid, which has the support of the federal and state governments. But, as the Australian Olympic Committee president, John Coates, said, there’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure Brisbane meets requirements expected of all potential candidates.
“This is an important next step in an ongoing dialogue with the Future Host Commission,” said Coates. “We are very clear that we must continue to work hard in outlining our vision for a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.”
If you can think back to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, it’s likely you’ll recall just how remarkable the experience of hosting an Olympic Games was, with no pesky time difference to interrupt your live-viewing preferences, and tickets to the events all the more easy to acquire. It’s hardly surprising then that the Australian Sports Commission chair, Josephine Sukkar, has spoken about just how important this opportunity could be for Australia.
“For the young boys and girls now enjoying their sport and dreaming of representing their country, this is an announcement that makes the possibility of a home Games more accessible and real,” Sukkar said. “A home Games would be a driver for increased sport participation too.”
Given that the Gold Coast hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games, much of the infrastructure is already in place; the state government even claims that 80 per cent of the venues are already built. While a main athletes stadium might have to be built from scratch, it still puts Brisbane in good standing, making the potential just that much closer to becoming a reality and what a beacon of hope on the horizon that would be for all of us Aussies.
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