“Let’s share it”: Karl’s wild idea to save the Brisbane Olympics
Karl Stefanovic has become the unlikely face of a good idea, pitching a revolutionary way to save the Brisbane Olympics from disaster.
The 2032 games will be the first time Australia has hosted the event since Sydney in 2000, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to make the pilgrimage to the sunshine state to watch their favourite sports.
Despite the building excitement for the games, the Queensland government has copped backlash in recent weeks over the preparations for the event, after Premier Steven Miles announced he would bin 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 the exisiting Suncorp Stadium to host the opening and closing ceremonies, while the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre will host the athletics events.
Today host and Brisbane native Karl Stefanovic has labelled the plan as a “seismic international embarrassment” and in a strange turn of events, even offered up a good 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. ”
It seems Karl isn't the only one up in arms over the decision to not build a new stadium, as a group of high-profile Aussie Olympians penned an open letter to the premier, imploring him to "revisit the decision".
The letter states, "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."
The letter was signed by 14 current and former Australian Olympians including Grant Hackett, Sally Pearson, Leisel Jones and more.
Image credits: Today