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The winner is: Brisbane’s ‘irresistible’ bid sent for final sign-off by IOC

Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic Games bid has been rubber-stamped by powerbrokers and will face a “date with destiny” on July 21.

Jun 11, 2021, updated Jun 11, 2021
A pedestrian plaza would link a refurbished Gabba stadium to South Bank and the Cross River Rail network (Pic: Supplied)

A pedestrian plaza would link a refurbished Gabba stadium to South Bank and the Cross River Rail network (Pic: Supplied)

The executive board of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday proposed the Queensland capital as the host of the 2032 Games, with the choice to be put to a vote next month.

Brisbane was chosen as the preferred host in February, and the board’s proposal now goes to the IOC session, which will take place before the Tokyo Olympics next month.

IOC President Thomas Bach said the decision now lies in the hands of the IOC members, who will vote on July 21.

“We have seen many months of hard work and co-operation between three levels of government to get Brisbane 2032 before the IOC Members who make the ultimate decision next month,” Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates said in a statement.

“It is the Members we have to convince of the merits of our ambition to host the Summer Olympic Games for the third time.

“We have our date with destiny.”

If negotiations conclude successfully, Brisbane would become the third Australian city to host the Games after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today welcomed the news and said it followed intense planning and late-night talks to ensure powerbrokers knew what Queensland had to offer.

Having initially vowed to deliver an Olympics for all Queenslanders, and then talked up the south-east Queensland component, Palaszczuk said the name had been decided.

“They will be the Brisbane Queensland Olympics,” she said.

“It has to be the capital city and Brisbane is the capital city.”

Brisbane had been the preferred host, chosen in February, and the board’s proposal now goes to the IOC session before the Tokyo Olympics next month.

“It is in the hands of IOC members to vote now on July 21,” IOC President Thomas Bach said.

“This commission looked in depth in all aspects of Brisbane 2032 … as well as the strong support across the entire political spectrum in Australia,” he said.

Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad, Kristin Kloster Aasen, said Brisbane 2032’s case aligned with “social and economic development plans”.

“The project centres on delivering the best possible conditions for sport and the athletes in a sport loving country with proven experience in hosting successful major sports events such as the Commonwealth Games in 2018,” Ms Aasen said.

“The commission is satisfied that the guarantees provided by Brisbane 2032 are comprehensive and thorough.

Palaszczuk said there had been an unprecedented level of cooperation between three levels of government.

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