2032 OLYMPICS BRIS-BANE: PAUSE & EFFECT

Since the time it was announced as host city for 2032 Olympics, the road so far has been far from ideal for Brisbane and Queensland. Uncertainty over venues and spiralling costs have led to some confusion. With the 100-day review nearing completion, Gomesh S finds out how the city is gearing up for 2032 Summer Games...

- Gomesh S

WAY from the hustle and bustle of the busy Brisbane streets—about 12 kilometers south of the city centre—the Queensland Sports Athletics Centre is a sprawling sporting locality. Situated at the junction of Kessler Road and Mains Road, the sporting complex is home to the State Athletics Facility, Nissan Arena, High Performance Facilities, Sandstorm Beach Volleyball Club, and the main QSAC stadium. The centre is vibrant and buzzing with activity.

Built for the 1982 Commonwealth Games, the main stadium has since hosted several historic events—sporting and non-sporting—in the last four decades. As recently as the first week of December, the venue was witness to the record run Gout Gout had at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships. The Ipswich-Brisbane-born teen sensation ran 200m in 20.04s to break Australia's oldest athletics record set by Peter Norman in 1968.

Currently the fastest in the world for 200m in U-18 and U-20 levels, Gout grew up at the QSAC facility. It is where, much like every aspiring athlete in Brisbane, he would turn up every day and train from a very young age. The same facility, with a capacity of about 48,000, is the home of Matthew Denny, the Paris Olympics bronze medallist in discus throw, who comes in and trains here almost every day.

In fact, of the 53 medals Australia won in the Paris Olympics, QSAC, Queensland Academy of Sport, and the state itself cumulatively contributed to more than half of them (28). It is no wonder that there is an inimitable buzz in the air about the state and Brisbane getting to host the Summer Games eight years down the line in 2032.

At the same time, though steeped in history and heritage, QSAC, The Gabba, and all other sporting venues are yet to have a clarity on what kind of a role they are going to play in the 2032 Olympics.