Brisbane 2032 Olympics: Team SA ‘think big’ planning needs to start now to exploit games fever, MP and Paralympian urges

South Australia should “think big” and start planning for how the state can harness Olympics fever before Queensland has all the fun, the former Paralympian says.

Paige Madden of Team United States, Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia and Katie Ledecky of Team United States compete in the Women's 800m Freestyle Heats on day seven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on August 02, 2024 in Nanterre, France. Picture: Adam Pretty/Getty Images

South Australia should “think big” and start planning for how the state can harness Olympics fever before the 2032 Brisbane summer games, the Opposition says.

The Liberal MP for Colton, Paralympian Matt Cowdrey, will today call for a specially formed bipartisan steering committee tasked with developing an Olympic and Paralympic “legacy”.

He said every nation’s teams needed a base for between two and three weeks of pre-games training.

This also helped elite athletes acclimatised to Australian conditions, travel distances, climate and event timings.

Olympics gold medalist Ariarne Titmus at the Paris Olympic Games. Picture: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Mr Cowdrey, who won 23 Paralympic medals including 13 gold at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, said SA “should be thinking big” to exploit a “highly lucrative” build-up.

“How good would it be to have the Dream Team – USA Basketball, Australian Swim Team, the Matildas or UK rowing team based in SA prior to the Games,” he said.

Matthew Dellavedova and Aron Baynes in action during the Rio Olympics 2016 Men's basketball game between the Australian Boomers and the USA Dream Team at Carioca Arena. Picture: Adam Head

A “Team SA 2032 Games Legacy Committee” with government officials, MPs and other sporting luminaries to develop strategies and other state promotions.

He said while the games were more than seven years – and two election cycles- away, “we need to start this work now” for infrastructure upgrades for all sports and other works.

He said SA hosted at least 1,000 athletes and support staff from 26 countries before the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

“My initial conversations with state sporting organisation and sporting club CEOs indicates a strong level of interest and excitement in a bipartisan Team SA approach – so let’s get started,” he said.

Recreation, Sport and Racing Minister, Emily Bourke, said the state government had “already begun the process of exploring Olympic and Paralympic Games-related activities to help build on the state’s considerable sporting legacy”.

Australian Paralympic Games swimmer Matthew Cowdrey poses with his eight medals at Tower Bridge in London in 2012. Picture: Ian MacNicol

She said a new $88 million SASI headquarters and Mile End sports precinct – including the Southern Hemipshere’s only cycling wind tunnel – was “another opportunity to showcase our world-class facilities on a world stage”.

“We will soon begin work on a brand new $92 million netball and indoor sporting facility across the road,” she said.

“Already we’ve seen strong interest from international teams in using these facilities for training camps.”

Liberal MP Matt Cowdrey is now the opposition sports spokesman. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Sport Minister Emily Bourke said work had already begun although she didn’t reveal specific details. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Sport SA chief executive Leah Cassidy said it “supports a position to develop a clear plan to position SA to host international athletes and teams in the lead up to Brisbane 2032”.

Originally published as Brisbane 2032 Olympics: Team SA ‘think big’ planning needs to start now to exploit games fever, MP and Paralympian urges