Commonwealth Games officials scout Adelaide sporting sites ahead of possible bid
A DROP-IN pool at the Entertainment Centre, 400m athletics track at Adelaide Oval and a facelift for the SuperDrome have been identified as key pillars for Adelaide’s potential Commonwealth Games bid.
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A DROP-IN pool at the Entertainment Centre, 400m athletics track at Adelaide Oval and a facelift for the SuperDrome have been identified as key pillars in a potential Commonwealth Games bid after international officials toured the city at the weekend.
The London-based Commonwealth Games Federation considers Adelaide’s sporting infrastructure as largely “Games-ready” for 2026, 2030 or 2034 and the State Government is now considering whether to commission an official feasibility study into the event.
A key issue is timing. March and October have been discussed as preferred dates to avoid a clash with AFL football at Adelaide Oval.
An Office of Recreation and Sport working party headed by chief executive Kylie Taylor led a tour of Adelaide’s sports facilities and West Beach, which was scouted as a possible site for an athletes’ village.
The touring party included CGF chief executive David Grevemberg and his new partnerships team which assists potential host cities bid for the Games, representatives from the Australian Commonwealth Games Federation and Adelaide City Council and Sports Minister Corey Wingard.
The tour included visits to Adelaide Oval, which would host the opening and closing ceremonies and track and field events, the Super-Drome at Gepps Cross for track cycling, SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre at Marion for diving, Priceline Stadium at Mile End for netball, Coopers Stadium at Hindmarsh for rugby sevens and the Convention Centre for indoor sports such as table tennis, weightlifting and boxing.
Swimming would potentially be at the Entertainment Centre using a drop-in pool like Melbourne did at Rod Laver Arena when it hosted the Games in 2006.
“We’re exploring all options,” Ms Taylor said.
“The aquatic centre is limited because of the road (Morphett Road and Diagonal Road) so there is only seating on one side. The (drop-in) pools are amazing, they’re modular, are built and then taken down and can be repurposed to a community.”
Ms Taylor said it was her understanding that provisions were made during the Adelaide Oval redevelopment for some rows of seating to be removed to fit a 400m athletics track if a major Games was to come to the city.
The marathon could include Linear Park from the foothills to the beach and the cycling road race could be modelled on the hugely successful Tour Down Under stage up Willunga Hill.
She said using existing infrastructure in a potential Games bid would ensure there would be no “white elephants” and financial drain left after the Games.
The next step is for the State Government to decide on whether to commission a feasibility study into a potential bid.
Mr Wingard said the Government would investigate the cost of the event but stopped short of guaranteeing a thorough study into its viability.
The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games held in April are estimated to have cost $2 billion and included significant infrastructure spend on a new velodrome in Brisbane, two new indoor centres at Carrara and Coomera, a high-raise athletes village, pool upgrade and tramline extension.
The Games have also been held in Brisbane and Perth but never in Adelaide.
Western Sydney, Edmonton in Canada and Auckland in New Zealand are other cities that have been linked to a possible bid for 2026.
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