Crocodiles no issue but river current could scupper Brisbane rowing plans
The crocodiles that inhabit the Fitzroy River appear not to be too much of an issue but the water current could scupper plans to stage the rowing at the 2032 Olympics in Rockhampton, some 600 kilometres north of Brisbane.
The proposal to hold the rowing events in the city on the central Queensland coast were announced on Tuesday along with the final venue plan for Australia's third Olympics.
Rowing Australia appear to have been blindsided by the announcement, having submitted plans for a "2000m, 8-10 lane venue in Queensland" to the state government's review of Games infrastructure.
While the Fitzroy River is home to crocodiles, the waterway is used for rowing by schools, a local club as well as for elite training and Rowing Australia's cautious response to the announcement was focused on more technical issues.
"While the facility has been suitable in a training capacity, it has not undergone any technical feasibility study that would confirm its ability to host national or international level racing," the body said in a statement.
"Fairness and safety are paramount to any venue hosting a regatta of this magnitude and importance, with any river current that could impact results or favour certain lanes not permissible under the rules.
"Water quality and weed management are also factors to be considered by the International Federation."
World Rowing, which must approve the venue, also released a statement noting the potential issues.
"World Rowing will continue to work with all key stakeholders ... to ensure a satisfactory solution is found with the integrity of the competition and safety of all athletes and officials as utmost priority," it read.
Canoe sprint events are also slated for the river and the International Canoe Federation (ICF) was less than effusive in its response to the decision.
"It has come as a surprise to both the ICF and Paddle Australia that Rockhampton has been chosen considering the extensive examinations that had been conducted on other potential venues," it said in a statement.
"The ICF will continue to work with Paddle Australia, the Queensland Government and other stakeholders to assess the venue options, ensuring that the best solution is found to host sprint races at the Games in 2032."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Only the best should showcase cricket in Olympics return at LA 2028
Cricket will return to the Olympics after 128 years at the 2028 Games and the popular view is only the best teams should showcase the game in Los Angeles, even if it means leaving out hosts the United States. Both the men's and women's competitions will be a six-team contest in the 20-overs format when cricket is played in the Olympics for the first time since 1900. The International Cricket Council is yet to announce the qualification format but is likely to pick the top six teams in the official rankings at a cut-off date. The US rank 17th in the men's list and 24th in the women's, which make their position untenable in the cricket competitions of their home Olympics. "I'd love an associate member to get in there but let's be realistic," Sumod Damodar, who represents associate members like the U.S. in the ICC Chief Executives' Committee, told Reuters. "Should the US get an automatic place? I'll say let's put the best that we can on show. "We're coming back into the Olympics after 128 years. We need to make that impressions so that people will say, 'Okay, we don't want them to go back and beg 'please include us' before every Olympics'. "Like track and field, we need to become a regular Olympic fixture. We need to show them that this product is worth it." With Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympics and India bidding for the 2036 Games, Botswana cricket chief Damodar hoped cricket will feature in the next three Olympics and beyond. "We need to send the best six teams to showcase our game from the perspective of what it has in store for us, for the public, and the spectators in the future Olympic Games," he said. Damodar added the ICC should announce a cut-off date sometime next year giving all members enough time to improve their rankings. USA Cricket did not reply to a Reuters email seeking its view but Sanjay Govil, who owns the Washington Freedom franchise in the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the US, also said only the best should represent cricket at Los Angeles. "It should be based on merit, because we also want to make sure that it's competitive, right?" Govil told Reuters.
Hi Dubai
2 days ago
- Hi Dubai
UAE Launches National Service Athlete Programme to Support Elite Sports Talent
The UAE has launched the National Service Athlete Programme, a new initiative that allows elite Emirati athletes to continue training and competing while fulfilling their national service obligations. Unveiled at a special event organised by the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Defence, the programme aims to integrate top athletes into structured training during their service and enable participation in key competitions that impact international rankings and Olympic qualifications. The first cohort includes athletes preparing for major events such as the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar 2026 and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Participants span a wide range of disciplines, including athletics, fencing, equestrian, archery, and combat sports. The programme reflects a broader national strategy to empower youth, strengthen physical readiness, and align sports development with the UAE's vision for the future. It also supports the goals of the National Sports Strategy 2031 and the wider 'We the UAE 2031' agenda. Officials said the initiative will help identify new talent, promote discipline through sport, and prepare a generation of well-rounded Emiratis capable of representing the country on the global stage. A joint committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Defence, and other stakeholders will oversee the implementation, including athlete assessments, tournament participation, and collaborative workshops focused on coaching and fitness development. News Source: Emirates News Agency
Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Al Etihad
Trump travel ban in effect from today, citizens from 12 nations barred from US
9 June 2025 08:39 Washington (AFP)President Donald Trump's sweeping new travel ban came into effect early on Monday immediately after midnight, barring citizens from a dozen nations from entering the United States and reviving a divisive measure from his first move is expected to disrupt refugee pathways and further restrict immigration as the Trump administration expands its crackdown on illegal of the nations covered by the restrictions have adversarial relations with the United States, such as Iran and Afghanistan, while others face severe crises, like Haiti and announcing his restrictions last week, Trump said the new measure was spurred by a recent "terrorist attack" in Colorado. The group had been protesting in solidarity with hostages held in Gaza when they were assaulted by a man the White House said had overstayed his attack, Trump said, "underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted" or who overstay their move bans all travel to the United States by nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, according to the White also imposed a partial ban on travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas from those countries will be countries could be added, Trump warned, "as threats emerge around the world." World Cup, Olympics, diplomats excluded The ban will not apply to athletes competing in the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, or in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Trump's order will it apply to diplomats from the targeted Nations rights chief Volker Turk warned that "the broad and sweeping nature of the new travel ban raises concerns from the perspective of international law." US Democratic lawmakers and elected officials blasted the ban as draconian and of a new travel ban had circulated following the Colorado attack, with Trump's administration vowing to pursue "terrorists" living in the United States on officials said suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national according to court documents, was in the country illegally having overstayed a tourist visa, but that he had applied for asylum in September 2022. Trump's new travel ban notably does not include Egypt.
