Brisbane 2032 marks eight years to go as Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28 outline continued progress
Today marked eight years to go until the Olympic Games Brisbane 2032 begin, with the Organising Committee joining Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28 in providing updates on their progress to the IOC Session today.
The team from Australia celebrated this milestone in Paris, with the President of the Organising Committee, Andrew Liveris, declaring: “Brisbane is on track to host great Games in 2032. What we said we’d do by this point in time, we’ve done, with plenty ahead to achieve as we plan New Norm and Olympic Agenda 2020 Games in a sustainable, optimised, accessible and inclusive way.”
Brisbane 2032’s presentation highlighted important developments over the past 12 months, including the promotion of its brand positioning statement: “Shine brightest. Together.” Summarising their achievements, Liveris said: “We’ve already made huge progress, cementing the foundations with our strategy and Games Plan, and now we’re turning our focus to developing our commercial and legacy programmes, building out our brand and emblems, and delivering our Reconciliation Action Plan.”
Milano Cortina 2026
Earlier in the Session, Milano Cortina 2026 reported on a number of subjects, with a particular focus on the preparation of venues and facilities. It was noted that all were on time, with regular checks conducted due to the tight delivery timelines, with the continued support of International Sports Federations.
The CEO of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, Andrea Varnier, also took the opportunity to look ahead. He said: “Many significant events will happen in the next months, including, among others, the world broadcaster and world press briefings, the unveiling of the “Look of the Games”, the unveiling of the (Olympic and Paralympic) torches, the presentation of the journey of the Olympic flame, and the presentations of the medals. One of the significant moments will be the official launch of our volunteer programme.”
It was also an opportunity for Varnier to recognise some of the highlights from recent months. He said: “The Gen 26 education programme continues to encourage future generations to embrace the Olympic values. As part of this initiative, we wish to underline the success of the Winter Games Week last February, and also the active and direct participation of more than 230,000 students (in the Gen 26 programme) throughout Italy in recent months.”
LA28
With one eye on their upcoming handover from Paris 2024, LA28 shared their updates, expressing their growing excitement as they get ready to step into the spotlight at the Closing Ceremony.
Recognising this impending responsibility, LA28 Chair, Casey Wasserman, said: “Our ambition is enormous. We know that to accomplish this, we can't take anything for granted. We will exceed the needs of our athletes. We will excite the next generation of fans. We will create value for our partners. And we will leave the (Olympic) Movement stronger than ever. It is built into what we do and how we do it.”
He then went on to detail recent updates to their venue masterplan. Wasserman said: “We start with one of the most audacious promises of our Games, that we organise a Games to fit Los Angeles, not changing Los Angeles to fit our Games. This has been our commitment from the beginning, and it remains as true as ever today. Our commitment to our athletes, our communities and our fans means that we need to take full advantage of the breadth of world class facilities that exist in and around Los Angeles. Our Sports Park model takes full advantage of LA's abundance of professional and collegiate sports venues. And as the region and the facilities evolve, we must also evolve our plans in order to match the right venue with the right sport, to make those sports accessible to the fans. And that is exactly what our updated venue plan does.”
Wasserman’s updates also highlighted a growing number of domestic partners, as well as the development of LA28’s Youth Sports Programme, which has seen a 131% increase in participation over the last year. In addition, it was an opportunity to introduce their new CEO, Reynold Hoover, to the IOC Members.
To watch the full presentations of each of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committees, please IOC Media YouTube channel here.