Australian Olympic legend Raelene Boyle savages Brisbane Games’ stadium strategy and delays

The Olympic stadium debacle that is torpedoing Brisbane’s plans for the 2032 Games is getting out of control – and Australian legend Raelene Boyle says enough is enough.

Australian great Raelene Boyle is deeply concerned about Brisbane’s Olympic dithering. Picture: Getty

Athletics great Raelene Boyle believes Brisbane’s Olympic dithering has become embarrassing and the plan to renovate the track where she was once queen must be abandoned.

The sprint legend won Olympic silver medals in Mexico City (1968) and Munich (1972) but she is also defined by the gold medal she won in her career swan song in the 400m at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games at QEII Stadium.

Now known as QSAC, the venue has been nominated to host the 2032 Olympic athletics but despite her sweet memories of 1982, Boyle insists time has marched on.

“The QSAC Stadium is very appropriate for the Commonwealth Games – it is not certainly appropriate for the Olympics,’’ Boyle, who now lives on the Sunshine Coast, told this masthead.

“Too small. Too insignificant. The athletics stadium is the centrepiece of the Games. You need to be able to do a respectable job for the athletes around the world.

Raelene Boyle celebrates winning the Gold Medal in the Womens 400m at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, 1982. Picture: Tony Feder /Allsport

“You cannot have a second class stadium. We don’t have an MCG or a stadium which is good enough. A new stadium needs to be built and they have to work out what they need it for later.’’

The capacity of a renovated QSAC would be 40,000, half the size of the Stade de France which hosted the athletics in Paris.

Boyle believes the proposed alternate site at Victoria Park would be a better option.

“It’s sad that AFL and cricket need an Olympics to get a new stadium but it is also sad that cricket and football get a lot of money ahead of Olympic athletes. Victoria Park is a good spot for stadium. It is in the middle or everything.’’

Raelene Boyle speaks on stage after being announced The Legend inductee at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2017. Picture: Getty

The LNP, white hot favourites to win this month’s Queensland election, will implement a 100-day review into the stadium issue if they win but Boyle believes the matter should have been resolved even before Brisbane got hosting rights for the Games three years ago.

“How many reviews can they keep having? They are wasting so much money. Surely that should have been done before they actually made their bid?

“A lot of people have been making a lot of money out of reviews on the Games. To be honest these constant reviews are making them look quite stupid in my mind.

“It saddens me that people I speak to are sick of the constant reviews when they should be looking forward to the Games.

“I read in the paper every day of people living in tents because they have no money and we are throwing good money after bad with these reviews. It breaks my heart. It is not good for the look of Brisbane good or the look of Australia.’’

Originally published as Australian Olympic legend Raelene Boyle savages Brisbane Games’ stadium strategy and delays