Games’ great gall of China
Olympic bid threat
CHINA is preparing an audacious last- minute bid to steal the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics right from under Australia’s noses while Brisbane’s bid is momentarily on hold because of the global pandemic.
Australia’s sporting leaders have always feared that China would retaliate over Mack Horton’s role in the worldwide protests against China’s banned favourite swimmer Sun Yang but the brazen attempt to pinch the Olympic hosting rights has caught everyone by surprise.
Olympic insiders are stunned that China would suddenly throw their hat in the ring to host the 2032 Olympics, knowing full well that southeast Queensland is the clear frontrunner and has only paused in its planning out of respect to officials dealing with the global health crisis.
While a decision on the host is not expected until at least 2022, it’s no secret the International Olympic Committee has been working closely with Brisbane’s team as part of their new way for deciding hosts.
Designed to end the expensive bidding wars of the past, the IOC has implemented a more transparent system whereby it enters into continuous dialogue with candidate cities. It’s well understood
those talks have only stalled to allow the IOC to deal with the more pressing issue of rescheduling Tokyo in 2021 and aren’t in any way a suggestion Brisbane’s bid is not proceeding.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison met with IOC leaders in Japan last week and told The Mercury this month the government was right behind the southeast Queensland bid.
“The way the Olympic bids work now has changed, it’s not the beauty parade it used to be,” Morrison said.
“There’s the opportunity to get inside and be a preferred bidder and work through the detailed things in a preferred status so that’s why we’re so keen to get off the mark there as quickly as we could.
“I’ve already met with the head of the IOC.”
According to a government report in the China Daily, the Sichuan province capital Chengdu and the nearby city Chongqing are teaming up to launch a joint bid for 2032.