By Nick Mulvenney
SYDNEY (Reuters) – The long lead-in to the Brisbane 2032 Summer Games is a blessing and a curse, local organisers said on Wednesday before they held the first of what will be many meetings over the next nine years with Olympic chiefs.
While most modern Olympics have had seven years from winning hosting rights to opening ceremony, Brisbane had a big headstart after being awarded Australia’s third Summer Games back in 2021.
“In terms of the extra timeframe, I’m thinking of it as a two-sided coin,” organising committee chief executive Cindy Hook told reporters in a media briefing from Lausanne on Wednesday.
“On the one side, this be a true blessing because if you use that time effectively to make measured decisions, set up those scenarios and plan for it, it’s going to be a real benefit.
“The flip side of that is with the enthusiasm for the Games in Brisbane and across Queensland … you can get caught up in doing too much, too soon and end up making decisions you can end up regretting.”
Construction delays have been a major issue for several recent Games but Brisbane is unlikely to face such problems with 84% of the planner venues already existing facilities.
One potential spanner in those works is that under existing rules the exact programme of the Games, which sports and disciplines will be included, will not be known until after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
IOC member and former swimming champion Kirsty Coventry, who will lead the coordination commission for the Games, suggested Brisbane might not have to follow the same timelines as the 2024 and 2028 Olympics.
“We are looking at adaptability, flexibility,” she said.
“Nine years to go is a longer time period than we are used to but it’s also an opportunity for us to look at all those timelines…
“Is it going to work? Do we still need to wait until the end of LA to make certain decisions? Can we make some earlier decisions? What’s that going to look like?”
GAMES LEGACY
Andrew Liveris, president of the Brisbane 2032 board, said the local organisers, who have the right to select some sports, would not be looking at anything that would radically change the existing venue proposal.
“We don’t want scope changes that add costs, in fact quite the reverse,” he said.
After wide consultation with stakeholders and locals, the planned legacy of the Games is already being worked out.
The IOC’s Christophe Dubi stressed the need for Brisbane 2032 to inspire young people to become active, while Hook and Liveris said their plans would have a special emphasis on Australia’s indigenous people.
After Paris organisers said on Tuesday that the general public would not be allowed to drink alcohol at venues during next year’s Olympics, there was also some good news for beer drinkers thinking of heading to Brisbane in nine years’ time.
“Local jurisdiction dictates what happens in stadiums and… Australian law allows beer to be served,” Liveris said.
“We’ll serve a beer, because we can.”
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Christian Radnedge)
