Brisbane elected 2032 hosts as Olympics return to Australia
BRISBANE was confirmed as host city for the 2032 Olympics on Wednesday as the Games head to Australia for a third time.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) members followed the proposal from their executive board by voting 72-5, with three abstentions, at the 138th IOC Session in Tokyo, ahead of the 2020 Games opening Friday following a year delay because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Brisbane Games and Paralympics will be the latest in sports-mad Australia, following Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000.
The capital of Queensland came second time lucky after losing out against Barcelona for the 1992 Olympics.
“The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Queensland will forge an enduring legacy for our entire nation,” said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was involved in a presentation to the Session.
“They will support economic growth and investment, deliver lasting community benefits and inspire the next generation of Australian athletes.
“I am proud of Australia, proud of Queensland and proud of our team that secured this win for our country.” Brisbane hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1982. The 2018 edition of that event took place at nearby Gold Coast which along with the Sunshine Coast is also to stage Olympic competition in 2032.
Under new Olympic Agenda 2020 regulations to make bidding easier and cheaper, Brisbane was named the “preferred host” by the executive board in June and proposed for the vote at the Tokyo Session.
This came after a period of targeted dialogue with the IOC’s new Future Host commission.
Budapest, Delhi, Doha, Germany’s Rhine/Ruhr area and Indonesia had also expressed interest in the 2032 event but lost out to Brisbane, who offered several existing venues as part of their bid.
Nonetheless the budget for the Games is around 3 billion euros (3.53 billion dollars) with the Australian state contributing roughly half.
“We encourage Olympic Games projects which are sustainable and economically responsible, which deliver the best possible Games experience for athletes and fans, and which leave solid legacies for local communities,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.
“Today’s vote is a vote of trust that Brisbane and Queensland will stage magnificent Olympic and Paralympic Games 2032.
“We have heard a lot of positive feedback from IOC Members and International Federations in the past few months.” The IOC has now secured all Games until 2032 except the 2030 winter edition, giving it a decade of stability in uncertain times.
The 2024 Olympics are in Paris, the 2028 edition in Los Angeles, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and the 2026 snow and ice Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The IOC also has a United States broadcast right deal with NBC until 2032 woth 7.65 billion dollars, and several major Olympic sponsors such as Visa, Coca Cola and Omega have committed until then as well.
At the Session the IOC also elected Nicole Hoevertsz of Aruba as vice president, reelected Robin Mitchell (Fiji) and Denis Oswald (Switzerland) to the executive board and elected Kristin Kloster of Norway to the board.
Athletes’ commission chair Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe became an IOC member in her own right while eight members were re-elected.
Former World Anti-Doping Agency chief Craig Reedie was made an honorary member having reached the IOC age limit, as was Danish Crown Prince Frederik.