Coast could cash in on Brisbane Games
THE Sunshine Coast would be ready to cash in if Brisbane ever hosted an Olympic Games, according to sports and tourism chiefs.
Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates yesterday said the Queensland capital could host a Games within 20 years.
He said Brisbane was the Australian city mostly likely to mount a successful bid because of its climate and the fact Sydney and Melbourne had held previous Olympics.
A Brisbane Games would be a boon for the Sunshine and Gold coasts with an influx of tourists, athletes and support staff.
Sunshine Coast Destinations CEO Steve Cooper, said the region would look to attract visitors before and after the Games.
He said the lessons learnt from the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast would provide feedback when deciding what role the Sunshine Coast could play in a Brisbane Olympics.
"The whole of south-east Queensland will have its training wheels on during the 2018 Commonwealth Games," Mr Cooper said.
"It will be a test run for the region and the economy to see if we can host greater events.
"We are looking into the sort of opportunities that will be available."
Sunshine Coast Sports Federation chairman Scott Derwin said the region did not yet have any Olympic-standard facilities, however much of the existing infrastructure could be upgraded to host events or preliminary events.
He predicted many overseas teams would look to base themselves on the Coast during pre-Games training.
"We'd look to benefit in much the same way we've been talking to people about the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast," Mr Derwin said.
"Those teams will be coming out for a month and looking for a spot to base themselves.
"The Sunshine Coast is also less congested than Brisbane. It would be a better experience for them in the lead-up.
"In my experience athletes don't like to get into the pressure cooker until they actually need to be.
"They would not want to get into the Olympic city until they have to be."
