Brisbane to host 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Brisbane, Australia’s third most populous city, has been confirmed as the host for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee approved the decision at a meeting ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Having been selected for ‘preferred bidder’ status in June, the Queensland state capital was seen as an overriding favourite to win the bid. In the end, the city received 72 yes votes from a total of 77 valid votes.
The decision marks the third time Australia has been selected to host the Games, after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000, while the state of Queensland hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2018. Other countries that expressed an interest in hosting the 2032 Games included Indonesia, China, Qatar, Hungary and Germany, BBC Sport reported.
It is also the first host city to be selected under new bidding rules established in 2019. Under the new regime, parties no longer bid against each other before a vote. Instead the IOC holds talks with interested parties and picks a preferred host before the vote takes place, in order to reduce the cost of the bidding process, and encourage bids in cities with existing infrastructure.
According to an IOC press release, there are early indications that Brisbane 2032 has spent around 80 percent less than the average candidate city for hosting the Games in 2020, 2024 and 2028, although this still needs to be confirmed by a financial audit.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: '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… Today’s vote is a vote of trust that Brisbane and Queensland will stage magnificent Olympic and Paralympic Games 2032.'
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who gave a presentation as part of the bid, said: 'The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Queensland will forge an enduring legacy for our entire nation. They will support economic growth and investment, deliver lasting community benefits and inspire the next generation of Australian athletes.'
Like this year’s Games in Tokyo, the 2032 Olympics will begin on July 23 and finish on August 8. It will follow the Paris and Los Angeles Games in 2024 and 2028 respectively.
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