Courtesy Isabella Quaid, Queensland.com
The Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place in Australia for the third time after Brisbane was confirmed as the host city in a vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Brisbane bid for the global sporting event was confirmed by IOC members who met in Tokyo on Wednesday 21 July.
“The International Olympic Committee has the honour of announcing that the Games of the XXXV Olympiad in 2032 is awarded to Brisbane, Australia,” said IOC President Thomas Bach after the meeting, which was followed by celebrations across Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Queensland will forge an enduring legacy for our entire nation. “We know it’s a huge opportunity for our nation, just like the Melbourne Games in 1956 and the Sydney Olympics in 2000."
Hosting the world’s greatest event will create a two-decade pipeline of opportunity for Queensland. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk emphasised that Queensland’s fundamental approach is to align Games legacy with long-term plans.
“We will work with all three levels of government to embed Games legacy opportunities in existing programmes and will create a special Games Legacy Fund. This is to ensure the effective delivery of legacy over the next 10 years – and the 10 years after that."
The IOC's ‘new norm’ policy means the Games will fit around Queensland, as 84% of venues are already built or temporary.
Some current venues like The Gabba will be refurbished to serve Queenslanders for generations to come, while any new infrastructure will have long-lasting community benefits.
Queenslanders can watch all the Tokyo Olympics action at Olympics Live sites. Head down to one of the following locations (and make sure to show your support by using the hashtags #brisbane2032 and #thisisqueensland):
Brisbane, Riverside Green, South Bank: 21 July - 8 August (with big screens also at King George Square and Queen Street Mall)
Gold Coast, Kurrawa Beach: 21 July - 8 August
Sunshine Coast, Kings Beach Amphitheatre: 21 July
Cairns Esplanade: 21 July - 8 August
Ipswich, Tulmer Place: 23 July - 8 August
Toowoomba, Walton Stores: 23 July - 8 August
Redlands Coast, Bloomfield St Park Cleveland: 24 July - 30 July
Rockhampton: 30 July
Mackay: 1 August
Townsville: 3 August
Longreach: 5 August
Yarrabah: 4 August
Horn Island: 6 August
Thursday Island: 6 August