Coast in line to land rich global sporting event

The Gold Coast is poised to become the centre of world swimming post COVID-19 in a multimillion-dollar move set to re-energise the sport.

THE Gold Coast is poised to become the centre of world swimming post COVID-19 in a multimillion-dollar move set to re-energise the sport.

Australian Dolphins head coach Jacco Verhaeren has revealed his role in working behind the scenes to convince International Swimming League (ISL) bosses that the Gold Coast is the only place to come.

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More than 500 personnel – including 320 prospective Tokyo-bound worldwide Olympians – will spend up to five weeks in camp in a bold plan unveiled by the ISL at the weekend.

Should the Gold Coast be chosen to host the event, the camp will include coaches, team and event staff, officials and television production crews, who will make the city their home in a timely move given Brisbane’s bid building for the 2032 Olympics.

The Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, home of the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2014 Pan Pacs, will be an obvious showpiece for the exciting 10-team match-racing format.

Minna Atherton. Picture: Delly Carr/Swimming Australia

Bond and Griffith Universities and pools at The Southport School, Somerset College and All Saints School, as well as the Runaway Bay, Miami and Palm Beach Aquatic Centres, are just some of the other world class facilities that would host the 10 visiting ISL franchises.

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The planned October-November time frame will be largely dependent on the efforts to contain the deadly coronavirus pandemic, which organisers know full well will be the telling factor in any planning.

If the Gold Coast gets the green light for the planned five-week Olympic launching pad, it will feature the biggest names in the sport, led by Cate and Bronte Campbell, Kyle Chalmers, Emily Seebohm, Emma McKeon, Ariarne Titmus, Mitch Larkin and Alex Graham alongside boom youngsters Minna Atherton (who broke the only world record in the first ISL season) and fellow backstroke prodigy Kaylee McKeown.

The Aussies will be joined by the likes of international stars Katie Ledecky (USA), Adam Peaty (GBR), Caeleb Dressel (USA), Sara Sjostrom (Sweden), Chad Le Clos (South Africa) and Katinka Hosszu (Hungary).

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The solidarity plans are part of an extra $6 million lifeline announced over the weekend by ISL owner Konstantin Grigorishin, who will pay swimmers a monthly retainer to participate in his four-five week long camp and competition schedule, and plans to produce his own reality TV show.

There will be 30 ambassadors for the League, who will all receive between $5800 and $8300 a month for a 10-month period with all 320 swimmers on the payroll.

Verhaeren, who has been based on the Coast with his family since 2013, has been the major conduit for the initial brainstorming and planning to bring the ISL to Australia.

Verhaeren has been the man who has convinced “his mates in Europe” that the Gold Coast is not only the best place, but the only place to stage the “Swimming’s Solidarity” concept.

“There is no doubt that the Gold Coast is the perfect stage, the perfect platform to host this solidarity camp and competition,” Verhaeren told Swimming World magazine.

“It will be a massive operation for 320 swimmers, plus coaches, staff, television production it would be a great show with up to 500 people coming to the Gold Coast.

“The Gold Coast has been a mecca for overseas swimmers from Great Britain, Japan, the US and Europe for many, escaping their winters so they all known what the Gold Coast has to offer.

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“There is no other place in the world like the Gold Coast with so many 50m pools all within a 15km radius – it will be the perfect place, with perfect facilities.

“Let’s all hope we will have this current COVID-19 situation behind us and with so much inactivity it will be also be a perfect boost for the Gold Coast and something for our swimmers to get excited about again.

“There will be a huge need to put the sport of swimming and the Gold Coast back on the map.”

Among other venues being explored include Budapest, Japan and Florida, but Australia and the Gold Coast is now a firm favourite.