Brisbane Olympics: Titmus’s rally cry for 2032 Games organisers

Australian swim queen Ariarne Titmus has delivered a rallying cry for Brisbane Olympics organisers as swimmers prepare for the Paris Games trials in the four-decade-old Chandler Pool.

Pool queen Ariarne Titmus has delivered a rallying call for Brisbane Olympic organisers after being shocked to be going back to the future for this year’s Paris Games.

Titmus said the fact this year’s Olympic swimming trials would be held in the Chandler Pool built for the 1982 Commonwealth Games spotlighted the fact urgent attention was needed to update legacy structure in the countdown to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

The Olympic 200m and 400m freestyle champion said she was shocked the 42 year-old Chandler pool remained the sport’s premier training facility in Brisbane and she hopes, despite current plans suggesting otherwise, Brisbane 2032 will deliver a new world class training pool for Australia’s gold medal winning swim team.

Ariarne Titmus models the Australian aquatic uniforms for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“I cannot believe our Olympic trials are being held in a training facility that was built (in the 80s),’’ said Titmus.

“I feel disappointed in that I don’t feel like we’re putting our best foot forward as a city. We will come off the back of the LA (Los Angeles) Games in 2028. America does everything huge, and I believe that Brisbane can do it better.’’

The current yet-to-be-approved plan for the 2032 Olympic swimming events is to build a temporary pool at a new Brisbane Arena on the Roma Street precinct. The pool would be dismantled after the Games.

“The biggest legacy they could leave behind would be an Olympic training centre and I cannot believe that building a (permanent) pool is not on the cards.I just think there needs to be a pool put into the plan.’

“I really hope that with all these discussions around the Olympics, the athletes are put first

This year’s Olympic swimming trials would be held in the Chandler Pool built for the 1982 Commonwealth Games, where Lisa Curry won gold.

and remembering why we took on the Olympic Games to create a legacy and build our city and inspire the next generation of athletes coming through. I really hope that that is at the forefront of decisions. But I really have no power.’’

Titmus was speaking at the unveiling of the new Speedo Olympic swimming costumes in Brisbane where Paris Chef de Mission Anna Meares said Brisbane Games organisers should view July’s Paris Games before making major decisions.

“With Brisbane 2032 eight years away there is a lot of time for them to be able to allow Paris to run and learn from those experiences,’’ Meares said.

Speedo, the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia reveal the Australian aquatic uniforms for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Brisbane. Lani Pallister, Ahmed Kelly and Ariarne Titmus. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“I know there is a lot of debate and conversation that happens in the period for any host city.

“Paris is one of the first host cities to really showcase what the IOC is hoping will be the new norm for the Olympic Games in incorporating infrastructure that is already there, temporary infrastructure and encompassing the whole regional areas around host cities as well

There will be a lot of eyes on Paris and how they pull this off and there is a lot of excitement for it.

“You can imagine what it’s going to be like having the beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower, the open water swimming in the river Seine, sailing down at Marseille.’’