As athletes gear up for the 2021 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Wednesday morning that Brisbane, Australia, will host the 2032 competition.
A video from the committee, released on the IOC website, outlined Brisbane’s pick and showed the overwhelming reactions, both in the committee room and across Australia, where the decision was met with fireworks and cheering crowds.
The 2032 games will mark the return of the Olympics in Australia after 32 years. The country previously hosted the games twice, with Sydney in 2000 and Melbourne in 1956. (RELATED: LA Will Reportedly Host 2028 Olympics)
The win for Australia did not come as a surprise to many. Brisbane ran in a one-city race that was steered by the IOC to avoid rival bids, making their win “inevitable,” ESPN reported.
Seeing that the IOC gave Brisbane exclusive negotiating rights to the 2032 games in February, the deal seemed complete months before the formal decision was announced in Tokyo, according to ESPN. The decision to side with Brisbane had reportedly stalled bidding plans for Olympic officials in Qatar, Hungary and Germany. (RELATED: Olympic Committee BEGS DC To Host The Games After Boston Drops Out)
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison explained that securing the Olympics was “a coup for the nation,” in a media release Wednesday.
“Only global cities can secure the Olympic Games – so this is fitting recognition for Brisbane’s standing across our region and the world,” he said in the statement.
The press release also announced that in addition to the 2032 games, the country would host the Paralympics for the second time in South East Queensland.
“It’s a historic day not just for Brisbane and Queensland, but for the entire country,” Morrison said.
Australia has 11 years to prepare for the 2032 games, which will follow the 2024 games in Paris and the 2028 games in Los Angeles.
