Olympics: How Brisbane 2032 can copy Matildas and unite Australia
Cate Campbell believes the Brisbane Olympics can unite Australia with a Matildas style vibe and leave cultural legacies which will be celebrated for decades.
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Cate Campbell believes the Brisbane Olympics can unite Australia with a Matildas style vibe and leave cultural legacies which will be celebrated for decades.
The four time Olympian understands the apathy and frustration which has gripped the state amid the confusion and cost of the 2032 Games but believes the long-lasting benefits will make the pain worthwhile.
“There will be disruptions because things need to be built and upgraded but the net benefit and net positive is going to far outweigh that,’’ Campbell told this masthead.
“I really feel the people of Brisbane can’t comprehend how big this is going to be for our city.
“Australia got a taste of it during the Women’s football World Cup (last year). This was a big international sporting event which did incur costs and could be expensive however we saw it galvanise the country and unite us like I had never seen in recent years.
“The most watched events in Australian (television) history are Cathy Freeman (winning the 400m at the Sydney Olympics) and the Matildas … then daylight. There is nothing that even comes close.’’
Freeman’s epic victory attracted a peak audience of 8.8 million while Australia’s penalty shootout victory against France in Brisbane attracted 7.2 million, making it more than twice as big as most State of Origin games. The Matildas will be part of the 2032 Games.
Champion freestyler Campbell, hoping to qualify for her fifth Olympics next month after competing in Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2021), accepts the road the Games has been challenging.
“I totally understand where the indifference and apathy is coming from. Times are really difficult with the cost of living crisis out of control.
“I can see why they are not going to be excited about something that is happening in eight years time.
“But I believe that if we get it right we have the opportunity to change the Australian culture and have a mark firmly stamped on the global world stage. When we get there we will have a great time.
“I would also say so much of Australia’s folklore was born out of the Sydney Olympics.
“You think of the “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie .. Oi, Oi Oi. That was a result of the volunteers at the Sydney Olympics and you now hear the cry booming out in sporting stadiums right across the world. It has become iconic.
“There are things that come out of the 2032 Olympics that we will still be doing in 30, 40, 50 years time because they just become embedded in the Australian psyche.
“You don’t get that opportunity without hosting something as momentous as the Olympic Games. It cannot be replicated.
“We are not very good at looking at long term goals. We are worried about the here and now and the discomfort we are feeling now compared to the benefits we will receive in the future.
“You know when you get an invite to something you think the last thing I feel like doing is getting out of bed. But you go to the event and think this is great. I think that is what the Olympics will be like for Brisbane.’’
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