Gina Rinehart: Move LA rowing from ‘too short course’ in 2028 to Brisbane

Billionaire Gina Rinehart is worried about a big problem rowing faces at the Olympics in four years time – the course will be shorter than usual.

Billionaire Gina Rinehart with the Australian Olympic rowing team. Picture: Supplied

Billionaire Gina Rinehart has a novel idea to fix a looming problem for Olympic rowing in four years time: move the event to Brisbane.

The 2028 Games are being hosted by Los Angeles – it’s Brisbane’s turn four years later – but the mining magnate, and Australian rowing’s big financial backer, says she is worried about what the Americans have planned for the sport.

“I’ve learnt today that physically LA is unable to do the full length Olympic rowing course, and is hence planning a shorter rowing course,” Mrs Rinehart told The Australian on the sidelines of the rowing at Paris’ Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on the weekend.

“Naturally this is of great concern in Olympic and rowing circles. My suggestion is, like Paris has chosen a more appropriate venue for the Olympic surfing competition in Tahiti, and other Olympics have chosen venues outside the host country, we should immediately put our Aussie hands up to help and offer a venue near Brisbane to hold the full course rowing in 2028.”

What Mrs Rinehart is referring to is the decision by LA organisers to host the rowing at Marine Stadium at Long Beach, the same course that was used for the 1932 Olympics.

The issue though is that the course is only 1500m long. The standard length these days for international competition is 2000m.

LA’s original bid venue, a reservoir 60 miles east, is no longer considered viable, and the water level at the 1984 venue Lake Casitas is not reliable these days.

Which leaves Long Beach, where the course was 2000m in 1932 but a bridge built there since has cut it 500m.

Mrs Rinehart says Brisbane should be a sporting and geopolitical solution.

“This would help our allies, as well as help Queensland to get ready in the planning of operations for the Brisbane Olympics; our own mini Olympics in 2028.

“I think we should take out any bureaucratic roadblocks and offer this immediately.”

Mrs Rinehart has committed to backing the rowing team for the next four years, despite some disappointing results in Paris.

But as well as the millions she tips into the sport, she has declared that great coaching is essential for great results, using the colourful swimming coach Dean Boxall as an example.

“The money is certainly helpful but it needs to be teamed with great coaching as well,” Rinehart said after watching three Aussie crews in action at the Vaires-sur-Marne course.

“You’ve seen it at the swimming, with these fantastic swimmers winning medals – most of them are with outstanding coach Dean Boxall. As Dean says, we are a partnership because I do the funding so the swimmers can dedicate themselves to the training and competitions with him. So that is a partnership that has really worked, and he has done an outstanding job with the coaching.”

Gina Rinehart and Dawn Fraser watch the swimming action at the Paris La Defense Arena. Picture: Adam Head

Mrs Rinehart also backs volleyball and artistic swimming – spending an estimated $10m annually in direct athlete payments and sponsorship – and is understood to have been approached by at least two other Olympic sports in the lead-up to Paris.

The sports that made those approaches are understood to be team sports that are still in contention for medals in Paris, though Mrs Rinehart and her Hancock Prospecting executive team decided not to go through with any deals due to wanting to stick with so-called “safer” sports.

“Yes (there were approaches), but I don’t want to do contact or dangerous sports,” she said.

Otherwise she said she would continue to back the existing sports she was involved in, and remains a big fan of the Games in general.

“People ask me, ‘why do you support Olympians?’ I see this as a positive win win win; hard working, inspiring role models, representing our nation at their patriotic best, making Aussies across our country happy and proud.

“So, my answer is, ‘why not!’”