Olympics return to Australia, Brisbane elected to host 2032 Games

Brisbane was confirmed as the host city for the 2032 Olympics on Wednesday as the Games head to Australia for the 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.

This has come 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 an 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.

It was then 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 they lost out to Brisbane, who offered several existing venues as part of their bid.

Nonetheless, the budget for the Games is around three billion euros (3.53 billion dollars) with the Australian state contributing roughly half.