The long-time Olympic powerbroker makes no apologies for his outsized role in shaping Brisbane’s 2032 Games, no matter the recent controversy.
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.Nearly a quarter of a century after his star turn in Sydney, Roy and HG’s unofficial mascot of the 2000 Olympics was the first thing that came to mind for a Brisbane-based sports executive when a bombshell on venues for the 2032 Games dropped this week.
The decision has been cast by critics as the product of a desperate government in survival mode with a state election on the horizon.But it is also one that has reinforced the enduring clout of Australia’s long-time Mr Olympics, John Coates, one of the most influential figures in the Olympic movement.
“The IOC doesn’t want you to build new venues. The Olympic Games has to adapt to a city. The city doesn’t have to adapt to the Olympic Games,” Coates said in an interview.“What will make these Games special is for the first time they’ll be able to spread the venues over three cities ... Sunshine , Brisbane and Gold Coast ... what makes these Games special is those iconic beaches, the development that’s taking place in Brisbane.
He said Coates had been a great administrator but believes he has misread community sentiment in this instance.“I think John doesn’t have the feel any more,” said Stockwell, who ran unsuccessfully to succeed Coates as AOC president in 2022 after he stepped down. “I think what he’s saying to the premier to give Brisbane is what we don’t want.
But while the IOC presses for cost efficiency, Stockwell argues Australia’s third-largest city risks missing a chance it won’t get again and needs a stadium with as many as 80,000 seats, as Sydney and Melbourne have.“Queenslanders, and particularly in Brisbane, we want to be proud of our city,” he said.
“It was bad enough to lose the Commonwealth Games . We would be an international laughingstock if we failed on the Olympic Games, and yet there doesn’t seem to be really any action from the federal government to make sure that the state government does not put us in a position where our international reputation could be trashed.