Brisbane set to be named 2032 Olympics host next month

Brisbane has long seemed to be in a one-horse race to host the 2032 Olympics.

That race looks sure to be over and won next month when the International Olympic Committee meets before the Tokyo Games open.

IOC president Thomas Bach said after an executive board meeting Thursday that Brisbane can be awarded hosting rights as the only candidate proposed at a July 21 meeting in Tokyo.

Though Bach said the outcome was "in the hands" of the members — around 100 will meet two days ahead of the Tokyo opening ceremony — they typically rubber stamp all recommendations coming from the leadership.

Bach praised Australia as a sport-loving country with strong support from layers of government in the city of Brisbane, the state of Queensland and federal level.

"All this together I think made it somehow irresistible," the IOC leader said.

1st unopposed election under new system

Brisbane is set to be the first Olympic host selected unopposed under a new system to streamline bid campaigns in order make them less costly, give the IOC more control and decrease the risk of vote-buying. Tokyo's campaign and 2016 host Rio de Janeiro were both tainted by corruption allegations that are part of ongoing criminal investigations.

The bid from Brisbane and neighbouring cities in southeast Queensland state has been led by IOC Vice President John Coates, who two years ago oversaw updating the bidding process at Bach's invitation.

Bach cited the IOC's "strict rules" which were monitored by ethics and compliance officials.

Still, Brisbane's rapid selection this year blindsided officials in countries including Germany, Hungary, Indonesia and Qatar which had been in talks with Olympic officials about shaping bids.

That dialogue will continue with a "pool of interested parties" to host the Olympics in 2036 or 2040, Bach suggested.

Coates, who was involved in an unsuccessful Brisbane bid to host the 1992 Summer Games, said the 2032 Olympics would "super-charge" the sporting environment in Australia.

"Events would be hosted in facilities already existing, planned or upgraded," Coates said. "These planned and upgraded facilities will deliver long-lasting value to Queensland's sporting and community legacy and will be in use before the games."

Last hosted in 2000

The Brisbane bid includes 32 venues, most of which already exist. The Gabba stadium, currently one of the premier venues in international cricket, will be redeveloped and a so-called Brisbane Live arena will be built downtown.

The 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris, with the 2028 Games in Los Angeles — both cities offering more stability than the troubled and often chaotic organization in Rio.

Australia last hosted the Olympics in 2000, with the popular success of the Sydney Games. Coates was heavily involved in the bid and organizing committees of those games.

Lawmaker Ted O'Brien, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's representative for the 2032 bid, on Friday acknowledged another milestone had been achieved.

"While we're delighted to have cleared the penultimate hurdle, we take absolutely nothing for granted as we seek endorsement of members of the IOC session in Tokyo," O'Brien said.

The 2030 Winter Games have yet to be awarded, with Salt Lake City among potential bidders. Bach said the IOC was in talks with "a number of interested parties" but there was no urgency to make a pick.

Bach also confirmed he will not visit Tokyo before mid-July, citing the quarantine periods needed to make "back and forth" trips from Switzerland which had been planned and expected.