Shot at world swim titles

FINA heavyweights in talks for 2029 event on GC

QUEENSLAND is poised to take a shot at hosting the World Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast.

With more than 1500 of the world’s most influential sporting organisations on the Glitter Strip this week for the international SportAccord summit, it is understood executives from world swimming’s governing body FINA have met with government officials about the possibility of hosting the sport’s showpiece event at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones has hoped to use the SportAccord conference as a springboard to secure hosting rights to up to $100 million worth of events in the coming years.

Already the Red Bull Air Race has expressed interest in returning to Australia with a Gold Coast race, but FINA’s World Aquatic Championships would add a whole new level of prestige.

The Gold Coast Aquatic Centre was a spectacular success at least year’s Commonwealth Games, hosting soldout sessions of 10,000 spectators night after night.

The venue also hosted the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in 2014.

FINA’s world president Julio Maglione is on the Gold Coast this week and his executive director Cornel Marculescu was part of the talks to discuss bringing the world championships to Queensland.

The event was last held in Australia in 2007 when Melbourne hosted 2500 competitors and more than 200,000 spectators.

It is understood any Queensland bid would involve a tilt at the 2029 world champs, as bidding for the 2025 and ’27 editions has already closed.

That would lead in perfectly to a Queensland Olympic Games in 2032 if that bid from the southeast Queensland council of mayors gets off the ground.

According to FINA stipulations, a host venue must have capacity for 15-20,000 spectators and three training pools on top of two 50m pools.

The event also includes diving and open water swimming competitions.

During the Gold Coast’s Commonwealth Games, the aquatic centre’s capacity was increased to 10,000, but there is scope to increase that further to satisfy FINA requirements.

Ms Jones said the State Government was “always interested” in bidding for events that would deliver value for money for taxpayers.

“Swimming was a hit at the Commonwealth Games – regularly packing out the newly upgraded Gold Coast Aquatic Centre at Southport,” she said.

“SportAccord is a great opportunity for our major events experts to meet with the powerbrokers in world sport to secure new events that will grow our tourism industry.”