The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s president announced that Brisbane would be the official host for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.
Following a session in Tokyo on Wednesday, IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement: “Brisbane 2032 is the first future host to have been elected under, and to have fully benefited from, the new flexible approach to electing Olympic hosts.”
The IOC has planned to run the Olympic Games from July 23 to August 8, while the Paralympic Games will be held from August 24 to September 5. They are slated to run across 37 venues.
The Australian state of Queensland’s capital and most populous city was designated and approved as the Games venue under the new host selection approach.
Mr. Batch said the approach seeks to encourage Olympic projects using existing and temporary venues.
Brisbane and its surrounding areas have been elected to host and co-host the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and other international sporting events in the following years.
Other tournaments scheduled to take place in those cities are the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in soccer and the 2022 UCI Road Championship in cycling.
Previously, the surrounding South-East Queensland region hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, an area that will also host some events in 2032.
The IOC President, who is currently in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics, said the vision and plan for the Brisbane 2032 Games dovetailed with Queensland and Australia’s growth strategies for their social and economic development.
The Covid-19 pandemic and some scandals have overshadowed this year’s games, with new coronavirus cases detected, allegations of rape and bullying, and players dropping out of their events.
Also, plans to hosting the Olympic Games have faced growing opposition in recent decades, with citizens questioning its long-term impact on their neighborhoods and public finances.
Critics and detractors lament the consequences of hosting the games, citing an Olympic legacy of “white elephants,” like the rusting stadiums in Athens.
The Greek capital hosted the 2004 Olympics, which cost $11 billion despite the country’s debt crisis.
However, Brisbane’s bid to host the 2032 games was unopposed.
Australia has hosted two Olympic Games before; Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000, but the 2032 Olympics will be the first to be held in the city.