Olympic Games 2032: Australia’s strong COVID-19 response a huge boost for Brisbane bid
Queensland Olympic Council president and Sydney 2000 gold medallist, Natalie Cook, believes Australia’s slick handling of the virus won’t be glossed over when a decision is made on the 2032 Games.
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The crippling darkness of COVID-19 may yet provide Queensland with a morale-restoring silver lining - the 2032 Olympic Games.
Australia’s impressive handling of COVID-19 is considered to have boosted Brisbane’s chances of hosting the 2032 Olympics and former gold medallist Natalie Cook believes the Games could yet provide the economic kickstart the region is craving.
While Australia has more than 6700 COVID-19 cases and 90 deaths, it has been noted in Olympic circles around the globe it has fared better than many European and Asian nations, reinforcing the vibe Australia is one of the safest, most secure nations on earth.
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With a decision on the 2032 host likely to be made a decade before the event, the International Olympic Committee has placed a premium on safety and security in an ever more volatile world.
Queensland Olympic Council president Cook, a beach volleyball gold medallist at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, acknowledged that Australia’s slick handling of the virus could not be underestimated.
“Our response to COVID-19 has been great,” Cook said.
“If you look at all the stats around the world you see that. It would give confidence to other nations that Australia is a safe place.
“The rest of the world would take comfort in the Australian sanctuary - the fact we are an island and safe and we get on top of things pretty quickly.
“Clearly (the 2032 Games) are not front of mind for people but it is in the back of people's minds - it can bring hope and economic stimulus.”
While the Queensland Government has admitted a planned $151 million budget surplus had been wiped out by the virus this does not necessarily mean the Games are now a luxury Queensland can no longer afford.
In a major change of thinking sparked by the financial devastation inflicted on host nations, the IOC has introduced a new policy where it will try and make the Games “cost neutral” for the host nation, leaving infrastructure which is a major benefit to the host rather than the many white elephant stadiums left behind in cities such as Athens and Rio de Janeiro.
“I definitely think the IOC with their new norms have moved to give back to the city rather than taking which it might have been in the past. There is definitely a much better case for hosting now. The community benefits are better than before,” Cook said.
“It would be great thing for our state and our country to get excited again. It would put a smile back on people's faces.”
The winning nation for the 2032 Games could be announced by next year's Tokyo Games or more likely in 2022 with Brisbane's rivals likely to include Jakarta, a group of cities in Germany and a shared bid between North and South Korea.
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