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Planning has started to position Cairns as an elite athlete training hub, a hotbed of sporting talent, and must-visit tourist destination ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
Already, preliminary football (soccer) matches have been scheduled for the city, but Advance Cairns believes there are much wider opportunities and is leading a united push for the region to make the most of them.
The advocacy organisation invited five time Olympian and Sydney beach volleyball gold medallist Natalie Cook to address the business community this morning, where the focus shifted from a need for a rectangular stadium in Cairns to a high-performance training centre for all sports.
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Ms Cook now works with the Queensland Olympic Committee and the Queensland Institute of Sport.
“You have it all here, it’s beautiful – the Skyrail, the train, the waterfalls, the climate – we love the climate in Cairns,” she said.
“The people here are so warm and loving and friendly.
“Sell all that.
“Build the narrative and then take it to market.”
Also speaking at the breakfast was Tokyo Olympian Cedric Dubler, who won hearts when he selflessly pushed teammate Ashley Moloney in the final decathlon event, the 1500 metres – which led to Moloney winning a bronze medal.
Dubler was among the athletes training in Cairns in the lead-up to the games, where he suffered a hamstring injury.
“We don’t want big stadiums, we want a track that is the right distance – which it is – and there’s not much more we need,” he said.
“Potentially a gym for the athletes to come in, to help the development of young athletes as well, and a recovery centre was probably the only thing that was missing for me to do ice baths and saunas and stuff like that.
“You’ve already got the environment here, the climate as well.
“No one wants to go to the AIS because it’s cold down there and who wants to visit Canberra?”
2032 Olympics: Cairns' focus shifts towards training hub, unearthing local athletes - TropicNow
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