Brisbane should look to Sydney for 2032 Olympic Games

Australia’s top sports administrator has revealed what Brisbane should do to “sell” itself to the world at its upcoming Olympic Games.

Australia’s top sports administrator says Brisbane should look to Sydney as a model for how to “sell” its Olympic Games to the world.

Australian Sports Commission chief executive officer Kieren Perkins said the 2000 Games in Sydney were widely regarded as the “best ever” and should be the “benchmark” for Brisbane’s Olympics and Paralympics in 2032.

“The vibe … or the things the globe looks at, it’s about the pictures, the attitudes, the people, the way the global media turn up and what they hear and what they see,” Mr Perkins told the National Press Club in Canberra.

“And that’s a whole of Australia proposition.”

His comments come as the Brisbane Games organising committee put out to tender a design contract for a brand strategy to “draw global recognition” and entice people to southeast Queensland.

Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins says Brisbane should look to Sydney’s success when planning its own Olympic Games. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Perkins, a four-time Olympic medallist, competed at the Sydney Games and said Brisbane should look to inspire a similar sense of pride in Australians.

He said part of Sydney’s success could be attributed to the standout performances of local athletes such as Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe who became household names.

“If I sort of step back and talk more philosophically about it, it is about Australia actually succeeding on the field of play,” he said.

“We have high expectations of our athletes and their performances on the field of play.”

He said the Queensland government should also strive for the best possible facilities, transport and volunteers in 2032.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk successfully bid for Brisbane to host the 2032 Olympic Games. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

“(People) talk about how amazing Sydney was: the atmosphere, the friendliness, the how well everything worked, and those volunteers that were part of those Games,” he said.

“I’m stunned; here we are, 22 years later, you walk through Sydney, and I reckon nine times out of 10, you will stumble across someone wearing some part of their volunteer uniform still.”

Mr Perkins said Australia could have justifiably claimed to have had the “best sporting system in the world” before the “focus faded” after the Sydney Games.

Mr Perkins said Australia should build its sports capability progressively over the next decade and use the Brisbane Games as “a springboard” to continue this work.

He said he wanted to “emphatically put to bed” rumours the Australian Institute of Sport was vying to be relocated from Canberra to Brisbane in the lead-up to 2032.

Originally published as Brisbane should look to Sydney for 2032 Olympic Games