Victoria 2026 - Commonwealth Games

[Sir Rols]

And they’ve already been named “preferred bidder”

[ulu]

1 hour ago, AustralianFan said:

Brisbane became very attractive because of its ideal athletic performance weather in July/August.

The night time temperatures will be less than ideal for outdoor explosive events like sprints, long jump, etc so I hope the finals for those events are scheduled during the day.

[Sir Rols]

3 minutes ago, ulu said:

The night time temperatures will be less than ideal for outdoor explosive events like sprints, long jump, etc so I hope the finals for those events are scheduled during the day.

Fair chance - US prime time is our late morning-early afternoon.

i worry, however, that it might push swimming finals out of our night prime time.

[ulu]

1 minute ago, Sir Rols said:

i worry, however, that it might push swimming finals out of our night prime time.

Me too.  2032 is the final year of NBC's contract so IOC will probably give them anything they want to get them to cough up big dollars again.

[RooBlu]

7 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

More to do with the fact that Melbourne and Sydney were lucky to get to host when they did - the IOC now mandate the summer games must be held in July-August, which puts the southern capitals in the “no go” basket from now on because of winter. Brisbane is our only major capital with a warm enough climate to host in the required time frame.

That and John Coates’ influence.

John Coates has made it abundantly clear that Melbourne will never host another Olympics. Mainly on climate and seasonal grounds, but I also suspect that it is because Melbourne had one of the worst and most politicised preparations leading up to the 56 Games and nearly had them taken away by the IOC in 1952, 1954 and 1955. Further it didn't help that Melbourne's Games Chief Mr Wilfred Kent Hughes was directly approaching Hungarian athletes during the 56 Games and offering them political asylum, or that a games official from an unnamed country was murdered (having been thrown over a railway bridge) during the Games and it was all hushed up.

It is perculiar to decree that the Olympics can only be held in July to August because completely rules out most of the Southern Hemisphere's most likely future candidate cities including Buenos Aries, Johannesburg, Perth and of course Sydney. Athletes aren't seasonal creatures anymore, they are professionals these days who perform and participate all year round at events around the world? A very very odd decree indeed.

[RooBlu]

36 minutes ago, ulu said:

The night time temperatures will be less than ideal for outdoor explosive events like sprints, long jump, etc so I hope the finals for those events are scheduled during the day.

It gets very chilly and dewy in Brisbane at night during the Winter months. So yes there are some events that will need to be definitely scheduled during the day.

[RooBlu]

31 minutes ago, ulu said:

Me too.  2032 is the final year of NBC's contract so IOC will probably give them anything they want to get them to cough up big dollars again.

Money talks to the greedy Princes of the IOC. The IOC take an increasing cut of the broadcast rites money's. I read recently that they took over 60% of the broadcast cut during Rio. It's ironic given that Melbourne's organisers back in 1955 insisted that TV broadcasters should pay a fee to set up in stadium's and at venues to broadcast the 56 Games. The three US TV networks at the time declared that this was excessive and unfair because print media had free access. They subsequently boycotted all broadcasting from Melbourne and Melbourne's Games went completely un-televised to the rest of the world. 

How times have changed.

[AustralianFan]

4 years today was the 2018 Gold Coast CWG Opening Ceremony.

Some more celebrations hopefully very soon when the 2026 host announcement is made.

 

[TorchbearerSydney]

2018 was a great Opening Ceremony.

 

Q: (Melbourne will never host again because) it had one of the worst and most politicised preparations leading up to the 56 Games....

FFS that was 66 years ago, nearly 3 generations ago!  Denver literally reneged on hosting the Games only 46 years ago in 1976, and it didn't stop the US getting the Games in 1984, 1996, and 2002....

 

[SportLightning]

8 hours ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

2018 was a great Opening Ceremony.

 

Q: (Melbourne will never host again because) it had one of the worst and most politicised preparations leading up to the 56 Games....

FFS that was 66 years ago, nearly 3 generations ago!  Denver literally reneged on hosting the Games only 46 years ago in 1976, and it didn't stop the US getting the Games in 1984, 1996, and 2002....

 

That's your guess.

[RooBlu]

13 hours ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

2018 was a great Opening Ceremony.

 

Q: (Melbourne will never host again because) it had one of the worst and most politicised preparations leading up to the 56 Games....

FFS that was 66 years ago, nearly 3 generations ago!  Denver literally reneged on hosting the Games only 46 years ago in 1976, and it didn't stop the US getting the Games in 1984, 1996, and 2002....

 

Three generations later and what in Melbourne has really changed? Building sites are still heavily controlled by unions; every man and his dog wants to put their finger in the pie with major projects; major public works programs are heavily politicized and often delayed by years and run billions over budgets (West Gate Tunnel, Federation Square, Southern Cross Station, City Link, the Melbourne Museum, Crown Casino, City Link toll system, the East Link Tunnel, Myki). Remember the construction of the Northern Stand at the MCG between 2003-2006 and how that turned into a political football as the Federal Government with-held $90 million that they had earlier promised to contribute? The $90 million was made conditional to the State Government giving guarantees that the MCG would be a non-union site. In the end the Bracks Government told the Federal Government to keep their $90 million and the entire stand was tri-funded by the State, the MCC and the AFL (Strangely enough it was completed two months early and $20 million under budget - Perhaps that was the unions way of giving the middle to Tony Abbot who was workplace minister at the time). The State government are still getting pushback over the airport rail link from strong lobbyists who believe that it should be tunnelled; the Federal Government are refusing to fund the proposed outer metro rail link on the grounds that they don't think that it's economically feasible, and the list goes on ... 

Besides an international airport, freeways, skyscrapers and three and a half million extra people, has Melbourne really changed in three generations ... 

At the time when Melbourne was white anted out of its 96 bid, many of the key AOC delegates and decision makers who secretly influenced the vote against Melbourne (despite its superior bid against the other candidates for 96 at the time) were all either young Olympians at the games in 1956 or were involved with the various key Australian sporting bodies at the time. It's not just coincidence. These people have loooooong memories. Let's not forget the Melbourne 2006 Games Chief - Ron Walker's refusal to have AOC delegates being any way involved with or officially attending the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. That was 17 years after the failed (White anted) 1989 Olympic bid. Ron Walker certainly never forgot! 

Be in no doubt - People do not forget! 

I'm glad that you mentioned Denver reneging on the games and three US cities subsequently getting to host them because none of those three subsequent cities were Denver were they? Consider. 

The thing that truly salvaged Melbourne's Games in 1956 was its citizens and volunteers. A city which had only 9000 hotel beds at the time offered up their homes as B&B's to accommodate over 50,000 visitors. When surveyed prior to the games people were asked whether they had any preference for races to stay at their homes and over 90% said that they would prefer people of colour to stay in their homes. The city set up a program during the games where they encouraged citizens to invite visitors and athletes back to their homes for dinner and this was a hugely popular and well received gesture. The volunteers in the city and at the venues were as helpful and accommodating as those at Sydney in 2000, hence Melbourne was given the title "The Friendliest Games". Of course the icing the cake to that was the final act during Closing Ceremony of athletes entering the MCG as "one nation" in reaction to the Cold-War shenanigans that played out in Melbourne between the Soviet and Hungarian teams and the secret machinations of Games Officials. 

There's an old saying, "Times may change - But people don't." 

[Australian Kiwi]

On 4/4/2022 at 2:12 PM, RooBlu said:

John Coates has made it abundantly clear that Melbourne will never host another Olympics. Mainly on climate and seasonal grounds, but I also suspect that it is because Melbourne had one of the worst and most politicised preparations leading up to the 56 Games and nearly had them taken away by the IOC in 1952, 1954 and 1955. Further it didn't help that Melbourne's Games Chief Mr Wilfred Kent Hughes was directly approaching Hungarian athletes during the 56 Games and offering them political asylum, or that a games official from an unnamed country was murdered (having been thrown over a railway bridge) during the Games and it was all hushed up.

I'm no Joan Coates fan - what makes you connect Melbourne's preparations for 1956 for his bias against the city? Has he ever said this?

The preparations were bumpy (its not the only city to have faced issues, hello Montreal) - but to suggest the city isn't capable because of how things were handled almost 70 years ago is kind of bizarre. 

Lets face it - if climate were not an issue there is a very good chance Melbourne would be hosting 2032. 

[Australian Kiwi]

As for the topic at hand - I have it from a reliable source that "an announcement" will be made before Easter (next week). 

[RooBlu]

I stand by every word that I have stated about Melbourne's history and how it relates to the city we know today. 

[RooBlu]

1 hour ago, Australian Kiwi said:

As for the topic at hand - I have it from a reliable source that "an announcement" will be made before Easter (next week). 

Yes they will need to make an announcement extremely soon because four years is not a lot of time for any city to prepare. Even though most of the venues are in place in Victoria there is still a huge level of planning and coordination of resources; building of accommodation (As it seems that the CGF seem lukewarm on the proposal to house athletes in hotels); promotion; and of course the budget to pay for it all has to be formally brought down and passed in Parliament. If there was seven years lead time it would be much easier, but four years is definitely going to make the preparations for these games seem more like a sprint than a marathon.

[Australian Kiwi]

3 hours ago, RooBlu said:

I stand by every word that I have stated about Melbourne's history and how it relates to the city we know today. 

It wasn't your opinion of Melbourne I was rebutting - it was you revising history and effectively putting words in Coates' mouth. 

[Australian Kiwi]

3 hours ago, RooBlu said:

Yes they will need to make an announcement extremely soon because four years is not a lot of time for any city to prepare. Even though most of the venues are in place in Victoria there is still a huge level of planning and coordination of resources; building of accommodation (As it seems that the CGF seem lukewarm on the proposal to house athletes in hotels); promotion; and of course the budget to pay for it all has to be formally brought down and passed in Parliament. If there was seven years lead time it would be much easier, but four years is definitely going to make the preparations for these games seem more like a sprint than a marathon.

It is a good thing it's being held in a state with a strong history of delivering large and successful international sporting events.  

[RooBlu]

1 hour ago, Australian Kiwi said:

It wasn't your opinion of Melbourne I was rebutting - it was you revising history and effectively putting words in Coates' mouth. 

That's cool we can agree to disagree. 

[RooBlu]

1 hour ago, Australian Kiwi said:

It is a good thing it's being held in a state with a strong history of delivering large and successful international sporting events.  

Absolutely, and I am confident that if awarded (hopefully before Easter as you have tipped), that Victoria will deliver in spades.

[SportLightning]

possibly, but it could happen.

[Victorian]

Hopefully we get an announcement ASAP

[SportLightning]

8 hours ago, Victorian said:

Hopefully we get an announcement ASAP

I hope so.

[Victorian]

Can’t read this but it appears we have won the bid!

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victoria-to-host-the-2026-commonwealth-games/news-story/a972c947dcfb469edab76ff96b9b3bbf?amp

[AustralianFan]

34 minutes ago, Victorian said:

Can’t read this but it appears we have won the bid!

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victoria-to-host-the-2026-commonwealth-games/news-story/a972c947dcfb469edab76ff96b9b3bbf?amp

Excellent, sounds like a done deal.

Premier Dan Andrews to make an announcement shortly it seems.

[ulu]

1 hour ago, Victorian said:

Can’t read this but it appears we have won the bid!

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victoria-to-host-the-2026-commonwealth-games/news-story/a972c947dcfb469edab76ff96b9b3bbf?amp

Quote

heraldsun.com.au

Victoria to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

Shannon Deery, Kieran Rooney

---

Victoria will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, but this move will give the event a major point of difference from the 2006 Melbourne Games.

Victoria is on the brink of claiming the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The state government signed an agreement to deal exclusively with the Commonwealth Games governing body – all but securing the event.

Victoria will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to make an announcement imminently.

The Games will be an ­almost completely regional event showcasing rural Victoria to the world, while Melbourne could host a handful of events.

It comes after the Australian Grand Prix roared back to life with a record four-day crowd of 419,114 people.

Sources, speaking to the Herald Sun on condition of anonymity, said a Commonwealth Games announcement was imminent and would be a boon for Victoria as it recovers from the pandemic.

Victoria made a formal bid to the Commonwealth Games Federation this year, and in March, Major Events Minister Martin Pakula visited Birmingham, the home of this year’s Games, to discuss the bid.

The Commonwealth Games is returning and this time is likely to go regional.

The Premier has previously indicated the event pitched to organisers would be largely in regional Victoria rather than a repeat of the 2006 Games.

“It’s about taking this amazing competition across many different sports into regional cities and towns (to create) jobs, tourism, visitors, economic activity, but also amazing legacy benefits,” Mr Andrews said in February.

He suggested basketball and netball in Bendigo, aquatics in Geelong and athletics in Ballarat as examples of strengths of each regional city.

Other towns such as Shepparton have hosted large-scale events before and welcomed the chance to invite international tourists and upgrade infrastructure where needed.

Hosting the Games in 2026 would add to Victoria’s ­already packed major events calendar, which is back on the global stage after a successful Formula One Grand Prix.

Premier Dan Andrews is expected to make the big annoucement soon. Picture: Ian Currie.

“This year’s Australian Grand Prix proved that Melbourne is back as the home of the biggest sporting events in Australia,” Mr Pakula said.

“More than 400,000 fans poured through the gates over the four days – the biggest F1 crowd ever – and that will have delivered a huge boost to local hotels, cafes, pubs and retailers. The pictures of Albert Park and the CBD were beamed around the world and there’s no doubt that will attract many visitors to Victoria in coming years.”

The four-day crowd of 419,114 was not only the biggest in F1 history, but also eclipsed other major Victorian events.

In 2006, the Melbourne Cup Carnival came close with 418,069 attendees over four race days while the 1996 Grand Prix attracted 401,000.

The 1956 Olympic Games is estimated to have attracted 1.153 million people.