The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Future Host Summer Commission has designated Brisbane as the “preferred candidate city” to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games, a decision endorsed unanimously by the IOC’s executive board.
The news was delivered by IOC president Thomas Bach during a press conference in Switzerland.
“We have unanimously after a very intense discussion approved this recommendation,” Mr Bach said.
“The commission based on this decision will start more detailed discussions with the Brisbane 2032 committee and the Australian Olympic Committee about their potential to host the Olympic Games 2032.”
The IOC will now move discussions to a targeted dialogue followed by final negotiations with the city then elected at a future IOC session, likely within the next year.
If those discussions are successful from both sides and Brisbane meets the requirements then it will be named the host city and Brisbane would become the third Australian city to host the Summer Games after Melbourne (1956) and Sydney (2000).
Chair of the Future Host Summer Commission, Kristin Kloster Aasen, said Brisbane and Australia had been selected over other cities that had shown interest — such as Doha, Budapest, Istanbul, Jakarta, New Delhi and St Petersburg — due to its past experience in hosting high-level sporting events.
“The high level of expertise in hosting major international sports events, the favourable climate conditions in July and August,” Ms Assen said played a part.
“The existing and planned transport infrastructure and experience in traffic management which can adequately meet the demands of the Olympic Games and were successfully implemented for the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
“The existing hotel inventory, which also meets the Games requirements.”
More to come.
