Brisbane elected 2032 hosts as Olympics return to Australia

DPA Tokyo Brisbane was confirmed as host city for the 2032 Olympics on Wednesday as the Games head to Australia for a third time. International Olympic Com...

DPATokyoBrisbane was confirmed as host city for the 2032 Olympics on Wednesday as the Games head to Australia for a third time.International Olympic Committee (IOC) members followed the proposal from their executive board by voting 72-5, with three abstentions, at the 138th IOC Session in Tokyo, ahead of the 2020 Games opening Friday following a year delay because of the coronavirus pandemic.The Brisbane Games and Paralympics will be the latest in sports-mad Australia, following Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000.The capital of Queensland came second time lucky after losing out against Barcelona for the 1992 Olympics.“The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Queensland will forge an enduring legacy for our entire nation,” said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was involved in a presentation to the Session.“They will support economic growth and investment, deliver lasting community benefits and inspire the next generation of Australian athletes.“I am proud of Australia, proud of Queensland and proud of our team that secured this win for our country.” Brisbane hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1982. The 2018 edition of that event took place at nearby Gold Coast which along with the Sunshine Coast is also to stage Olympic competition in 2032.Under new Olympic Agenda 2020 regulations to make bidding easier and cheaper, Brisbane was named the “preferred host” by the executive board in June and proposed for the vote at the Tokyo Session.This came after a period of targeted dialogue with the IOC’s new Future Host commission.Budapest, Delhi, Doha, Germany’s Rhine/Ruhr area and Indonesia had also expressed interest in the 2032 event but lost out to Brisbane, who offered several existing venues as part of their bid.Nonetheless the budget for the Games is around 3 billion euros (3.53 billion dollars) with the Australian state contributing roughly half.“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,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.“Today’s vote is a vote of trust that Brisbane and Queensland will stage magnificent Olympic and Paralympic Games 2032.“We have heard a lot of positive feedback from IOC Members and International Federations in the past few months.” The IOC has now secured all Games until 2032 except the 2030 winter edition, giving it a decade of stability in uncertain times.The 2024 Olympics are in Paris, the 2028 edition in Los Angeles, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and the 2026 snow and ice Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.The IOC also has a United States broadcast right deal with NBC until 2032 woth 7.65 billion dollars, and several major Olympic sponsors such as Visa, Coca Cola and Omega have committed until then as well.At the Session the IOC also elected Nicole Hoevertsz of Aruba as vice president, re-elected Robin Mitchell (Fiji) and Denis Oswald (Switzerland) to the executive board and elected Kristin Kloster of Norway to the board.Athletes’ commission chair Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe became an IOC member in her own right while eight members were re-elected.Former World Anti-Doping Agency chief Craig Reedie was made an honorary member having reached the IOC age limit, as was Danish Crown Prince Frederik.The Olympic Games since 1896I 1896 Athens II 1900 Paris III 1904 St Louis IV 1908 London V 1912 Stockholm VI 1916 Berlin* VII 1920 Antwerp VIII 1924 Paris IX 1928 Amsterdam X 1932 Los Angeles XI 1936 Berlin XII 1940 Tokyo* XIII 1944 London* XIV 1948 London XV 1952 Helsinki XVI 1956 Melbourne** XVII 1960 Rome XVIII 1964 Tokyo XIX 1968 Mexico City XX 1972 Munich XXI 1976 Montreal XXII 1980 Moscow XXIII 1984 Los Angeles XXIV 1988 Seoul XXV 1992 Barcelona XXVI 1996 Atlanta XXVII 2000 Sydney XXVIII 2004 Athens XXIX 2008 Beijing XXX 2012 London XXXI 2016 Rio de Janeiro XXXII 2021 Tokyo XXXIII 2024 Paris XXXIV 2028 Los Angeles XXXV 2032 Brisbane * The Games of 1916, 1940 and 1944 were cancelled due to world wars.** The riding events of 1956 took place in Stockholm