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With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) having last week declared Brisbane as the ‘preferred candidate city’ to host the 2032 Olympics, venues that would potentially host Games events have revealed in the bid document.

With the bid relying heavily on using existing facilities and sporting infrastructure for the event, it has been promoted as a Games that will break-even, avoiding incurring massive overspends such as those faced by past Olympics.

To achieve its aims, Brisbane’s Olympics would include venues across south-east Queensland, including a number of facilities built for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and possible some built for Sydney’s 2000 Olympics, while football preliminaries would also be played in Sydney and Melbourne.

Brisbane’s bid document suggested that between two and seven new venues would be built including a new 50,000-capacity stadium at Albion Park to serve as the main stadium, hosting athletics and the ceremonies.

However, in the feasibility document released last Thursday, the IOC said it was open to using existing facilities instead that might see athletics staged at Metricon Stadium which staged the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, with the ceremonies at either the Gabba or Suncorp Stadium.

While the "two new venues" may well include a new Olympic Stadium, they may well include a new 15,000-capacity venue for indoor sports - which could be the new Brisbane Live venue, although it is not referred to in the bid document and/or a new 10,000 plus capacity aquatic centre

However, the new aquatic facility could be temporary - perhaps within the 'Brisbane Arena' referred to in the bid document - while the IOC has suggested that the bid will consider switching swimming and water polo to the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

The prospect of a new aquatic centre has excited sports marketeer Ian Hanson, the Oceania Correspondent for Swimming World.

Writing online for Swimming World on Thursday, he suggested that a new inner-city pool facility would “deliver a golden legacy from Australia’s third Olympic Games”.

Looking at the Olympics proposal, he wrote “a new Brisbane Swimming Arena or the existing Gold Coast Aquatic Centre would host swimming and water polo, with diving, artistic swimming and water polo at the existing Brisbane Aquatic Centre, holding 4,300 people with marathon swimming at the Broadwater Parklands on the Gold Coast, with temporary seating for 5000.”

Advocating for a new aquatic facility he went on to state “the SEQ region has become a swimming stronghold in Australia from the famed ‘Chandler Pool’ – now the Brisbane Aquatic Centre - situated 14 kilometres south east of the CBD to facilities that would satisfy visiting teams in some of the best locations in the world for lead up and pre-Games training camps and competitions.

“While SEQ is surrounded by more 50m pools – both public and school facilities – than any other region in the world – it lacks a modern day international standard pool – a facility that will leave a legacy from the Games for a swimming-mad city.

“Discussions are also continuing for Bond University (on the Gold Coast) and its new revamped aquatic facility (with an existing 50m pool and new 25m outdoor racing pool with scoreboard and screen) to host the International Swimming League – a major attraction for the world’s fastest swimmers – in the lead up to 2032.

“And while a major selling point for the 2032 Games is centred around existing venues and infrastructure a new aquatic centre will be central to the success of these Games – as Australia’s most successful and popular Olympic sport.”

The Brisbane masterplan even allows for canoe slalom and sprint as well as rowing to be held at the same facilities that were used during the Sydney 2000 Olympics if a whitewater and flat water canoe/kayak centre is not built in the state.

Venues proposed for a Brisbane Games.

Brisbane Venues
Athletics, Ceremonies - Brisbane Olympic Stadium (new, 50,000 capacity). (Alternative venues: Metricon Stadium, Gabba)

Swimming, Water Polo - Brisbane Arena (new, 15,000). (Alternative venue: Gold Coast Aquatic Centre)

Diving, Artistic Swimming, Water Polo - Brisbane Aquatic Centre (existing, 4,300).

Archery - South Bank Culture Forecourt (temporary, 4,000).

Basketball - Brisbane Indoor Sports Centre (new, 15,000).

3x3 Basketball - South Bank Piazza (existing, 4,500).

Track Cycling, BMX racing - Anna Meares Velodrome (existing, 5,000)

Freestyle BMX, Cross Country Equestrian - Victoria Park (temporary, 5,000/25,000)

Equestrian - Brisbane Showgrounds (existing, 15,000)

Football, Rugby Sevens - Suncorp Stadium (existing, 52,500)

Gymnastics - Chandler Indoor Sports Centre (new, 10,000)

Hockey - Ballymore (upgrade, 10,000). (Alternative venue: Gold Coast Hockey Centre)

Shooting - Brisbane International Shooting Centre (existing, 2,000)

Table Tennis, Fencing, Taekwondo, Badminton - Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (existing, 6,500)

Boxing - Nissan Arena (existing, 6,000)

Slalom Canoe - Redland Whitewater Centre (new, 8,000). (Alternative venue: Penrith Whitewater Stadium, NSW)

Handball - Brisbane Entertainment Centre (existing, 11,000)

Modern pentathlon - Ipswich Stadium (upgrade, 20,000)

Rowing, Sprint Canoe - Larapinta Flatwater Centre (new, 14,000). (Alternative venue: Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW)

Sailing - Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (existing, 10,000)

Tennis - Queensland Tennis Centre (existing, 6,000)

Gold Coast venues
Beach Volleyball - Broadbeach Park Stadium (temporary, 12,000)

Golf - Royal Pines Resort (existing, 15,000)

Judo, Wrestling - Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre (existing, 7,500)

Triathlon, Marathon Swim - Broadwater Parklands (temporary 5,000)

Volleyball - Coomera Indoor Sports Centre (existing, 11,000)

Weightlifting - Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (existing, 6,000)

Sunshine Coast venues
Basketball (pool games) - Sunshine Coast Convention and Entertainment Centre (new, 6,000)

Road Cycling, Race Walking, Kiteboarding - Alexandra Headland (temporary, 5,000)

Mountain Biking - Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Park (existing, 10,000)

Other venues
Keelboat Sailing - Whitsunday Islands (existing, 2,000)

Football Preliminaries -
Ipswich Stadium (upgrade, 20,000)
Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast (existing, 27,400)
Sunshine Coast Stadium (upgrade, 16,500)
Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba (upgrade, TBC)
Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville (existing, 25,000)
Barlow Park, Cairns (upgrade, TBC)
Sydney Football Stadium (under construction, 45,000)
AAMI Park, Melbourne (existing, 30,050)

Athletes will stay in one of two Olympic villages - a 14,000-bed Brisbane development that will be converted to housing after the Games, while existing hotels on the Gold Coast would supply a further 2000 beds.

Images: Concept for a new Brisbane Olympic Stadium at Albion Park (top, credit: Urbis), the Brisbane Aquatic Centre was purpose built for 1982 Commonwealth Games (middle, credit: Sleeman Sports Centre) and the Queensland Tennis Centre (below). 

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