Australia launches talent search for 2032 Brisbane Games

SYDNEY – Australia will launch its biggest-ever talent search in October to unearth the athletes who will compete on home soil at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) said on Sept 9.

The AIS has linked up with its equivalents in each state, as well as more than 40 sports and Paralympics Australia to put together the Future Green and Gold programme, which will identify talent and put the athletes on elite pathways.

“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for people that could lead to representing Australia on the world stage,” said Annette Eastwood of the AIS.

“We are looking for a wide range of skill sets, so I encourage all eligible Australians with Olympic or Paralympic dreams to come and give it a go. It is our job to find hidden talent and unlock that potential – you may be a former gymnast who is perfect for cycling, or new to sport entirely. All are welcome.”

AIS executive general manager of performance Matti Clements added: “We have an ambitious goal to have the best Olympic and Paralympic team ever in Brisbane and to achieve this we need to significantly boost our current talent pool, in particular our para-athletes.”

Australians aged 13 to 23 will be targeted for the 2032 Olympic team, while anyone over 13 will be considered for the Paralympic programme.

No previous sporting experience is required and athletes looking to transition from non-Olympic or Paralympic sports will be encouraged to apply.

Australia finished third in the medal table with 13 golds when the country first hosted the Olympics in Melbourne in 1956, and fourth with 16 titles when Sydney hosted the Games in 2000.

The country is coming off its most successful Summer Games in Paris in July and August, with Australian athletes winning 18 golds and 53 total medals.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) welcomed the launch of the Future Green and Gold campaign. “The success of the home team is vital to the success of any home Games,” AOC chief executive Matt Carroll said in a news release.

“Many Olympians began their athletic journey in different sports, before finding and excelling in their Olympic passion.

“Fresh off the success of our team in Paris, many young Australians will be inspired to have a go at Olympic sports to chase their own Brisbane Olympic dream.”

In separate news, the Australian government introduced a new directive on Sept 9 ordering national and state sporting bodies to have a 50-50 gender split on their boards by mid-2027 or risk losing public funding.

The National Gender Equity in Sport Governance Policy also demands that half of board chairs and half of board sub-committees are women by July 1, 2027.

“Despite almost equal sport participation rates between men and women, women are still under-represented in governance and leadership positions across the Australian sport sector,” the government said in a statement.

“Each jurisdiction will adopt its own mechanisms to reach the targets and timeframes, with government funding to be withheld from national organisations that do not comply.”

The statement said 62 per cent of sporting bodies already met the required standard of gender diversity but only 25 per cent of boards had women chairs.

“We need more women making decisions for more women. Our sporting systems are not equal and this policy will help address the gender imbalances prevalent in sports leadership,” Minister for Sport Anika Wells said in the statement.

“Diversity within an organisation’s senior roles provides a more complete mix of skills, perspectives and experiences, resulting in better decision-making and improved performance.”

According to the directive, gender-diverse board members and chairs will be counted as women for the purposes of fulfilling the policy. REUTERS, AFP