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🇦🇺 Australia /Sports

Queensland premier targets ‘overseas elites’ amid questions over Olympic rowing venue

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Queensland Premier David Crisafulli accused interstate and overseas critics of trying to bully the state over plans to hold Olympic rowing and canoe sprint events on the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton.
  • International rowing officials have raised concerns about the river’s location, sustainability, current, flooding risk and crocodiles, while World Rowing continues its technical assessment.
  • The governing body will give the final approval, and Brisbane 2032 organisers say they are preparing contingency plans for the venue.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has accused “interstate and overseas elites” of trying to bully the state because they do not want to travel to regional Queensland for the 2032 Olympics.

Let's be honest, let's scratch beneath the surface and call it for what it is.

· David CrisafulliThe Queensland premier introduced his criticism of opposition to the proposed Rockhampton venue.

The premier was responding to concerns from international rowing officials about plans to hold Olympic rowing and canoe sprint races on the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton. Queensland selected the site, but it still needs final approval from World Rowing.

At the governing body’s congress in Amsterdam last week, representatives from New Zealand, Canada, Germany and Britain questioned the venue’s sustainability and location. German Rowing Federation president Moritz Petri said athletes had asked why organisers were not using the former Sydney 2000 regatta course if Rockhampton would sit outside Brisbane’s Olympic core and Olympic village.

It is a group of interstate and overseas elites who are trying to bully their way because they don't want to go to regional Queensland and that's not right.

· David CrisafulliThe premier accused critics of opposing the regional location.

British Rowing chief executive Tom Salisbury said athletes had also raised concerns about fairness and delivery. Rowing Canada president Tracey Black questioned whether a new facility might be built if the assessment proved less favourable than expected.

They were saying if we are not being in the core of the Olympic city, and not being part of the Olympic village, why we are then not using the former Sydney 2000 regatta course which should still be there?

· Moritz PetriThe German rowing official relayed questions he said athletes had raised about the Rockhampton location.

The proposed course has drawn scrutiny because of the river’s natural bends, its current, flooding risk and crocodiles. World Rowing president Jean-Christophe Rolland said the technical assessment remained under way and that athletes would receive the conditions they deserved. Brisbane 2032 chief executive Cindy Hook said organisers would prepare contingency plans, while cautioning that some discussion about alternative venues had not been based on full facts.

I also just caution everybody, there are a lot of people talking about this, not always with full facts, especially when it comes to throwing out other potential locations.

· Cindy HookThe Brisbane 2032 executive urged caution during the discussion of alternative venues.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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