Brisbane To Kick Start 2032 Olympic Games With A Bid For The 2030 Pan Pacs
Brisbane’s new National Aquatic Centre will face a race against time to be ready for a Swimming Australia bid to host the 2030 Pan Pacific Championships, which would officially kick start the buildup to the 2032 Olympic Games.
While hosting rights for the combined sports World Aquatics Championships – hosted by Australia in 1991, 1998 and 2007 – would also be pursued for 2031 or 2033.
It’s hoped that the 2030 Pan Pacs will be held at the new National Aquatic Centre and to kick off an impressive two-year line up of swimming, artistic swimming, diving and water polo events in the buildup to the 2032 Games.
The Brisbane Courier Mail has reported today that Swimming Australia is finalising its bid to secure Brisbane the rights to host the 2030 Pan Pacific Championships, a meet first contested in Tokyo in 1985 to rival the successful European Championships and instigated by Pan Pac member nations Australia, USA, Canada and Japan.
Brisbane was the first Australian city to host the Pan Pacs at the time-honored Brisbane Aquatic Centre at Chandler in 1987 – a meet that saw a US team win 24 of the 32 gold medals up for grabs – with world records to Tom Jager (50 freestyle) and Dave Wharton (400IM).
And a meet that has often been included in the lead up by Olympic host cities, with the 1999 Pan Pacs in Sydney far and away the standout, 12 months out from Sydney 2000 when it rained world records, including three to Ian Thorpe in three days in the 200 and 400 freestyles.
FIST FULL OF RECORDS: Ian Thorpe, who set three world records at the 1999 Pan Pacs. – Photo Courtesy: Adidas.
The Gold Coast hosted the 2014 Pan Pacs with the unstoppable Katie Ledecky winning the 200,,400, 800 and 1500m freestyle – the 400 and 1500m freestyles in world record time.
Los Angeles has already been locked in to host the 2026 Pan Pacs, two years out from LA28.
Swimming Australia CEO Rob Woodhouse (who incidentally was second in Wharton’s 1987 world record swim) said the organisation was managing its expectations on venue construction timelines but there was a desire to replicate the lead up to LA 2028, with California hosting the 2026 Pan Pacs – two years out from their Games.
“Our project team, which includes top architecture and infrastructure firms who have been advising us all the way along, do believe this can be done by early 2030. But obviously the clock is ticking,” Woodhouse told the Courier Mail.
“Our hope is things start moving reasonably quickly now so we can have the pool finished and operational by early to mid-2030, and that opens up the opportunity for a range of different events.
“It would be fantastic to hold (the Pan Pacs) in 2030 at the National Aquatic Centre.”
Woodhouse said another major target event for the venue, to be built at the existing Centenary Pool venue sight at Spring Hill, would be to host the World Para Swimming Championships in 2031.
Up to four other international artistic swimming, diving and water polo events could also be lured to the venue in 2031.
These events would all be in addition to 2032 Olympic Trials being hosted at the Centre, and each sports’ National Open Championships each year from the date it opens.
“We expect to host a lot of other domestic and other international swimming events over the years to come,” Woodhouse said.
“We expect Brisbane to be to be sought after as an international aquatics venue for decades.”
