Karl Stefanovic shares bold new plan to save 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games disaster

Karl Stefanovic has shared his bold plan to save the Brisbane Olympics from becoming an international disgrace.

The 2032 Olympics will be the first time Australia has hosted the Games in three decades, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to fly into the sunshine state for the event.

The Queensland government has been the target of furious criticism in recent weeks after Premier Steven Miles announced he would scrap a $3.4 billion plan to build a new inner-city stadium in Victoria Park in time for the Olympics.

Instead the premier plans to use Suncorp Stadium to host the opening and closing ceremonies and the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre to host the athletics events.

Today host Stefanovic described the plan as a “seismic international embarrassment” and offered up his suggestion for how to fix it.

“So how about we share the Olympics across the country, opening ceremonies in all the major already existing stadiums, events split among world-class facilities and the rest of the events showcasing this great country to the world,” he said.

“We’ll have the triathlon on the Gold Coast, the cycling in Far North Queensland, the surfing at Bells Beach, the marathon past Uluru, the shooting in Longreach, it could be a magnificent two-week tourism ad for this country, leaving a legacy that’s cheaper.

“Our athletes deserve the very best, so if Queensland can’t do it, let’s share it. ”

On Tuesday, the decision was slammed by a group of high-profile Australian Olympian’s in an open letter shared with The Courier Mail.

THE LETTER

“Dear Premier,

We, the undersigned, representing current and former Queensland Olympians and Paralympians, implore you to revisit your decision to host the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics events at the current Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre at Nathan.

While we understand that you want to get the best value for taxpayers out of the Games, we do not believe that the QSAC site represents that, not just financially but also in terms of a legacy for Brisbane and Queensland.

And frankly, a main stadium with a capacity of only 40,000 would be an embarrassment which in no way would represent the go-ahead spirit of Queensland.

Also, the QSAC facility is the nursery of athletics in this state, and any disruption to the site could only hurt our performance in our home Games.

We all remember the magnificent event that Sydney put on in 2000. Queensland deserves something equally spectacular, without a centrepiece that would reek of compromise.

It’s not too late to change your mind, Mr Miles.”

The letter was signed by 14 current and former Australian Olympians including:

Curtis McGrath, Para-canoe

Grant Hackett, Swimming

Monique Murphy, Swimming

Karni Liddell, Swimming

Brenton Rickard, Swimming

Brooke Hanson, Swimming

Melanie Wright, Swimming

Chris Wright, Swimming

Geoff Huegill, Swimming

Jon Sieben, Swimming

Andrew Baildon, Swimming

Sally Pearson, Athlete

Leisel Jones, Swimming

Jessicah Schipper, Swimming