Curious coincidence of the calendar. John Coates, one of the most influential IOC members of his time, will step down as president of the Australian Olympic Committee on April 30. He will leave the keys to his office after a 32-year lease. At 71, the former rower from Sydney is taking a step aside as Australia begins the richest decade in its sporting history.
The announcement came on Tuesday April 12 in the middle of the morning: the State of Victoria will organize the Commonwealth Games in 2026. With just over four years to go, the multisport event was still without a host city. Last February, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) began a “ dialogue phase » for a possible attribution of the 2026 edition. Without much surprise, it resulted in a choice that quickly became obvious.
In 2026, Victoria will offer a unique version of the Commonwealth Games, the first in history with a regional dimension. The competitions will take place in four cities across the state: Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland. Melbourne, the capital, will host the opening ceremony.
Matt Carroll, the chief executive of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), suggested this shortly after the announcement of the Victoria designation: “ We have talked about a green and gold track that leads to Brisbane 2032. Hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2026 will be an important step on that track"
The green and gold track, the two colors of Australia, will not only pass through Victoria. Over the next ten years, the country is poised to receive a collection of major sporting events unique in its history, if not in that of the entire Olympic movement.
Matt Carroll indicated this on Tuesday April 12: “ More than 30 major global sporting events will be hosted in Australia over the next ten years"
The list will kick off this year with the Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney, the Road Cycling Worlds in Wollongong, and the T20 Cricket World Cup. It will continue in 2023 with the Women's Football World Cup, co-organized with New Zealand, and the Cross-Country World Championships in Bathurst. In 2025, the Penrith Olympic site in New South Wales will host the canoe-kayak slalom World Championships. Two years later, Australia will host the Netball World Cup.
As a bonus, Australia has been designated a preferred candidate for the organization of the men's Rugby World Cup in 2027 and the women's Rugby World Cup in 2029. Barring an unlikely scenario, it will do double duty.
The secret ? There are two answers. Unlike many nations, Australia is willing and determined when it comes to bidding to host a major sporting event. For the Summer Games in 2032, Queensland has jumped ahead of everyone, engaging with the IOC a “ targeted dialogue » at the time when the other potential candidates were still in the feasibility study. The Australians were the first to travel as a delegation to Lausanne to meet Thomas Bach at the IOC headquarters.
Australia also knows how to be opportunistic. The example of the 2026 Commonwealth Games is the latest illustration. The multisport meeting could have gone to Canada, where projects were discussed, but the authorities have taken one step forward for every two steps on this issue. The Australians seized their chance without procrastinating too much.
The other explanation is financial. The Australian government knows how to break the bank to support sports projects. Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck recalled this at the end of last month: “ The 2022-23 federal budget highlights the government's commitment to sport. Our investment in sport, enshrined in the national Sport 2030 plan, must promote a strong economy and healthy communities. In the coming years, our country will host a series of international sporting events unlike any other in our history, culminating in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Government will ensure that its support helps strengthen our reputation for leading sporting nation in the world"
For the next two years, Australian authorities have contributed $10,7 million (€7,4 million) to legacy measures for the three major events hosted in the country: the men's World Cup cricket in 2022 ($4,4 million), the Women's World Cup in 2023 ($3,1 million), and the Women's Basketball World Cup ($2,6 million).
