Brisbane Fast-Tracked For 2032 Olympics: ESPN Report

Brisbane, Australia, is on a fast track to be named as the host city for the 2032 Olympics.

Running Unopposed: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is scheduled to meet in Tokyo on July 21 to announce the hosting rights for the 2032 event, according to an ESPN report. Brisbane appears to be a shoo-in, as it was named by the IOC executive board as the “preferred candidate city” in February without formal opposition.

Brisbane wasn't the only city to express an interest in hosting the games. While the IOC engaged in talks with Olympic officials from Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia and Qatar, the organization decided to focus on Brisbane as the 2032 site and continue its dialogue with these officials for potentially hosting the Olympics in 2036 or 2040.

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A Return To Down Under: Brisbane would be the third Australian city to host the Olympics, following Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

The Tokyo Olympics, which begin on July 23 after being postponed from last year, continue to be plagued with problems and apprehension related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, the Associated Press reported approximately 10,000 of the 80,000 unpaid volunteers assigned to the Olympics and the Paralympics have dropped out, citing fears of COVID-19 infections. Japan’s rollout of the vaccine has been painfully slow, with roughly 3% of the population being fully vaccinated.

The 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris, with the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

The 2022 Winter Olympics are slated to begin in Beijing in February.