‘Good different’: Why Brisbane hopes to host the Aldi of Olympic Games

When Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner departed Tokyo after his flying visit ahead of the Olympic Games, he returned to Australia with enough thought bubbles swirling around his head for two months of quarantine, let alone two weeks.

Schrinner had been part of the delegation, along with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, on hand as his city (region, to be accurate) was named host of the 2032 Olympics. It was a foregone conclusion but all of the guests looked suitably surprised, while Schrinner charmed Olympic officials
and international media with his earnest sell for the Sunshine State capital.

President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, centre, with members of the Brisbane 2032 delegation. From left, Lord Mayor of Brisbane Adrian Schrinner, federal minister for sport Richard Colbeck, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and three-time Olympic gold medallist James Tomkins.Credit: Getty

For all of the apparent furore at their mission to Tokyo, the advance party spent more than twice as long staring at the wall of a quarantine hotel than pressing the flesh in Japan. But Schrinner had enough time to forge some key contacts and formulate some thoughts about a Games he says will look very different from the traditional megacity model.

One of the first things that Schrinner derived was the vast scale of an Olympic Games. The 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast may have shown the region’s capacity to host major events but, outside of their multi-sport format, the comparisons are limited in terms of the immensity of organisation and infrastructure.

“It’s not the Commonwealth Games. It’s actually, probably, a false comparison,” Schrinner said. “It’s hard to really compare the two.”

What will the Olympics look like in 2032?

The Olympics are evolving in every sense. The new sports on offer, such as skateboarding and BMX, both huge hits in Tokyo, are playing to a fresh audience compared to the staples synonymous with a traditional Olympics.

Cost blowouts and a lack of willingness to host forced the International Olympic Committee (IOC) into major reforms. The “new norms” demand a high use of existing venues, seek to eradicate the dreaded white elephant legacy of previous hosts and puts a premium on sustainability.

Those changes also provide opportunities for hosts to break the mould and Paris 2024 is out of the blocks quickly. At their Games, organisers will seek to make The City of Light the backdrop, not just an array of generic stadiums and arenas.

Athletes may find themselves being floated on barges down the River Seine on their way to the opening ceremony, ensuring every citizen, not just those with an expensive ticket, can embrace the star attractions. And the community will be invited to run the official marathon course just hours after the world’s best have lit up the streets on the way to podium.

Those are exactly the kind of ideas that have Schrinner energised as local organisers begin to visualise some concepts for a Games that will have the luxury of a 10-year countdown.

“We don’t want to replicate an Olympic Games in a megacity environment,” Schrinner said. “We want it to be appropriate to the local environment here and the local conditions. That’s a big competitive advantage for us because, to an extent, global megacities can look a bit the same.

“There are obviously differences between each one but the scale of everything, the infrastructure they have ... we have something different. Paris is a megacity but they are trying something new, their mayor is saying let’s make our city the backdrop.

Paris organisers will aim to maximise the city’s landmarks for the 2024 Olympics.

“That’s got me thinking, as well, about what we can do that is uniquely south-east Queensland, uniquely Brisbane, that we can do that is different from the standard Olympic Games experience.

“What Paris is talking about with the opening ceremony being on the River Seine, there are opportunities like that for us as well.”

Economies of scale

When you stack them up and put Brisbane on the end of London, Rio, Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles, one city tends to stand out from the rest. Brisbane will be the smallest Games host for decades and the regional model is a test run for the IOC to see if it opens up the event to similar-sized centres around the world.

“There is no doubt that you can’t just impose the standard Olympic model onto the Brisbane 2032 Games,” Schrinner said. “It’ll be different, but it will be good different, to steal a line from Aldi.

“Whether it’s what we learn from Paris or Los Angeles, I think you will see the Games transform at the next two. We’re looking at something entirely different.

Brisbane turns on a light show during the announcement of the host city for the 2032 Olympic Games. Credit: Getty

“The interesting thing about the opening ceremony, aside from the fact there was a 60,000-seat stadium with only a few thousand people in it, is that it has been done to a formula that while it has been slightly different for each city, it’s still a formula that has been used for most opening ceremonies.

“When you change that formula, you really open other aspects of the Games for change as well. That’s a really good thing.

“I think the only thing that is certain is that it won’t be a cookie-cutter approach in 2032, it will be something completely different. That’s something really exciting. You can’t limit yourself by the size of a stadium or an arena or grandstand, let’s get the community involved as much as possible and start thinking outside of the square.”

The Brisbane delegation was set to meet with their Paris 2024 contemporaries, but that was cancelled at the last moment when French president Emmanuel Macron forced a change of plan. Macron was on hand for much of the Tokyo Games as he prepared for his nation to begin a countdown of their own.

But a meeting with Los Angeles 2028 organisers proved to be highly instructive. They, too, have decided to run their own race in terms of the look and feel of the Games. Brisbane will be watching their every step with interest.

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