Brisbane Olympic Games 2032: AFL, Cricket Australia and Swimming Australia big winners, Athletics Australia big loser

Many Australian sports believe they’re set up for golden generations of success after the long-awaited settling of venues for Brisbane’s 2032 Olympics.

But athletics isn’t among them.

Australian Athletics branded the Queensland government’s Games blueprint as deeply disappointing for the most popular Olympic sport, saying there is no legacy for track and field beyond the Games.

Athletics will be held at a new main stadium at Victoria Park but the track will be removed post-Games.

“Brisbane is poised to become the only major city in Australia without an adequate facility to host national or international athletics competition,” Australian Athletics said in a statement.

“We will seek funding to address this in the near future.”

While some Olympic mainstays such as rowing, archery and basketball were shunted to Queensland regions, two sports not readily associated with the Games emerged as big winners in Brisbane.

Cricket and Australian Rules football through its elite competition, the AFL, will play at the main Olympic stadium after 2032.

And both sports couldn’t contain their delight at the prospect of the $3.8 billion stadium with a 63,000 crowd capacity at Victoria Park.

AFL chief Andrew Dillon described Victoria Park as “transformational for the city, the community and sporting codes”.

“It provides a sporting and cultural legacy that will continue for decades beyond the 2032 Olympics,” Dillon said.

Cricket Australia (CA) was similarly thrilled.

“We want to thank the Queensland government for seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give the fans, the city and the state the stadium they deserve,” a CA statement said.

CA joined with Queensland Cricket, the AFL and its club Brisbane Lions in advocating for the new Victoria Park stadium, with governing bodies of both codes expecting to help cover costs.

“The AFL has historically always put money into new venues. Surely the premier and deputy premier will be knocking on Andrew’s (Dillon) door for a contribution; cricket as well,” said the Lions’ chief executive Greg Swann.

Australia’s most successful Olympic sport, swimming, is celebrating a new national aquatic centre to share with diving, water polo, and artistic swimming.

The four aquatic sports will, after Brisbane ‘32, be based at a redeveloped Spring Hall precinct - the existing Centenary Pool will be upgraded and complemented by a new main and secondary stadium featuring two large indoor pools.

“(It) will set our aquatic sports up for ongoing success for the next 50 years beyond the 2032 Games,” Swimming Australia’s chief executive Rob Woodhouse said.

Tennis Australia welcomed the planned upgrade of the Queensland Tennis Centre, which scuppers suggestions of Melbourne hosting the sport at the Brisbane Olympics.

And hockey’s top official described as “groundbreaking” the announcement of a redeveloped centre on the Gold Coast as the Olympic host - and then be retained as the state’s sole venue meeting international hockey standards.

“We now have a clear path to bring international hockey back to Queensland before 2032 and beyond,” Hockey Australia chief executive David Pryles said.

But the Queensland government’s detailing of 2032 Olympics plans was met with some bemusement by other sports.

Rockhampton, some 630km from Brisbane, will host rowing at Fitzroy River.

Rowing Australia said the crocodile-prone waterway was yet to be approved as meeting international standards.

But Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said bluntly: “We will engage with our friends in the rowing fraternity but ... we’re having it there.”

Basketball and football will play Olympic matches in Cairns - cricket, to appear at a second Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, could join them should it be included on the ‘32 roster of sports which is yet to be revealed.

Sailing will be staged at Townsville and the Whitsundays and archery will be held at Maryborough, about 250km from Brisbane.

“Archery is not a massive sport,” the premier said.

“... I want to sell the Queensland story, I want people to see different images of this place.”