Australia is set to host the Olympics for the third time, after Brisbane was confirmed as winning the bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games and Paralympics.
Melbourne hosted the Games in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. The Games will be held in Brisbane and across Queensland, the Australian state of which Brisbane is the capital.
“My government is proud to be supporting this opportunity for Brisbane and southeast Queensland,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said through a video link while presenting the bid from Australia. “The Australian and Queensland governments are fully funding the infrastructure projects to be delivered in preparation for the Games, ensuring that they deliver for Brisbane 2032, but also leave a lasting legacy.”
The Games are expected to cost $5 billion.
The bid was decided by the International Olympics Committee Future Host Commission in Tokyo, where the current Olympics will commence on Friday.
Besides Morrison’s video bid, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, sports minister Richard Colbeck and Adrian Schrinner, Lord Mayor of Brisbane, travelled to Tokyo to present their case in person.
“We pledge to create a successful model under your new host city strategy by showcasing a cost-neutral, climate positive, safe and enthralling experience for the whole world,” said Palaszczuk.
Unlike the earlier fiercely competitive bidding process, the IOC has adopted a new system whereby exclusive bidding rights are granted several months in advance. The system is designed to lower costs and minimize the risk of vote buying. Brisbane was granted bidding rights in February, effectively resulting in a one horse race as the claims of Qatar, Germany and Hungary fell by the wayside.
The Sydney Olympics are considered to be one of the most popular in modern history.
Paris will host the next Olympics in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028.