CITY SHOT AT WORLD TITLE

MAYOR Tom Tate says we have the infrastructure and, critically, the volunteers.

So is there anything the Gold Coast can’t do in the world of elite sport when it comes to staging a major event?

Having shown what the city is capable of through hosting the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Cr Tate is right.

Now is not the time to take the foot off the accelerator.

The Gold Coast should maintain its momentum as an events city and, taking the lead from track legend and IAAF president Sebastian Coe who says the city has the potential to hold the World Athletics Championships in 2025, there is little to stop it doing just that.

Staging world championships would not only bring the best competitors from across the Commonwealth – and haven’t we been treated to a festival of competition over the past two weeks! Such an event would bring the top track and field athletes from all nations. It would be like hosting one important part of the Olympics, but without the need to start from scratch with infrastructure or to tie the city up in transport paranoia, because the bulk of the action would be at the Carrara stadium and much of the infrastructure is in place.

Ironically, while Cr Tate has said the city could handle such a world event and is off to London to reinforce the message of how successful the Gold Coast Games have been, in addresses to a business forum at CHOGM and a Games briefing in Birmingham, the athletics track that has been the scene of heroic endeavour at Carrara is to be torn up. Much of it will be used by schools and a small section will be auctioned off to benefit charity.

It is likely though that world athletics officials would have decided our 2018 Games track would be redundant by 2025 anyway and would have to be replaced.

The Gold Coast Aquatic Centre has also been the scene of pure sports magic. The tens of thousands who attended the Games swimming sessions were stunned by the venue and, with its huge temporary stands, the colosseum-like atmosphere.

Spectators at the last night of swimming are still talking about the deafening roar of the crowd and never-to-be forgotten moments, including the Australian men’s and women’s 4x100m medley relay teams’ victories in thrilling, seesawing races for gold. That night the crowd was very much a part of the event.

But the fact the aquatic centre is an open-air venue puts the Gold Coast at a disadvantage in bidding for more major national and international swimming events. Hopefully world and Australian swimming bodies will keep the Games in mind and overlook the dreadful weather that marred the Pan Pacs in 2014.

Cr Tate says the Gold Coast is a can-do city. He is right. Every year this events city stages Magic Millions, the Gold Coast 600 motor racing, and the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro surfing.

It hosts numerous one-off events, and in November will also stage the Pan Pacific Masters Games – a biennial event that will bring more than 13,000 participants from around the globe.

Now, having hosted the Commonwealth Games, the Gold Coast is taking its events credentials to the next level.