Today show host Karl Stefanovic says Brisbane needs to ‘get their act together’ for the 2032 Olympic Games
Karl Stefanovic has spoken out about the controversy surrounding plans for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
The 49-year-old Today Show host, who is currently in Paris covering the 2024 Summer Olympics, laughed at a proposal to convert an old venue in the city into Brisbane’s “main stage” for what promises to be a major international event.
“This is our moment to show the world that we’ve grown up,” the Nine star said during an interview on the B105 Breakfast show in Brisbane, Stav, Abby and Matt.
“If you’re going to do that Olympic stadium shit, you might as well just stop. It makes me so angry when you look at the opportunity.”
Karl’s comments were in response to a new image of the planned Brisbane Olympic Stadium, which was unveiled on Tuesday. The image was quickly criticised for looking too small and unimpressive.
Elsewhere in the chat, proud Queenslander Karl was full of praise for the scale of the Paris Olympics and seemed concerned whether the 2032 Games Down Under would be similar.
“If you look at Paris and what’s happening here,” he began, “that stadium they released yesterday looks a bit inconspicuous.
‘Brisbane and the atmosphere around it is going to be extraordinary, I’m so excited and we really have to give it our all… You don’t want to mess this up.
Karl Stefanovic has spoken out about the controversy surrounding plans to host the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. The 49-year-old Today presenter, who was in Paris to cover the Summer Games, laughed at a proposal to transform an old city venue into Brisbane’s “main stage” for the Games in eight years’ time.
“We need to shake things up together and do it right,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Brisbane 2032 Olympics chairman Andrew Liveris has criticised claims that the Queensland capital is a backward “hillbilly town”, saying he is confident the city can host a spectacular Games in eight years’ time.
Speaking in Paris after his presentation to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Liveris admitted that not everyone in Brisbane is enthusiastic about hosting the Games.
Karl, a proud Queenslander, was excited about the scale of the Paris Olympics and seemed concerned about whether the Games Down Under in 2032 would be comparable to the Paris Olympics.
This is our time to show the world that we’ve grown up, the Nine star said during an interview on Brisbane’s B105 Breakfast show, Stav, Abby & Matt. Pictured: The proposed location for OG2032
He said most of the negativity stemmed from the government’s decision not to rebuild the Gabba, an iconic sporting venue in Brisbane.
Liveris then urged Queensland politicians to keep their promises and not change their plans in the run-up to the Games.
‘Please stop making the Olympics a political football… this [hosting] “This is a gift, this is a great gift,” he said.
‘Brisbane is not a hillbilly town… it’s not that strange place up north. It’s very cosmopolitan.’
The first image of Brisbane’s planned Olympic stadium was unveiled on Tuesday – and quickly drew widespread criticism (pictured)
Sports fans were left in awe after the opening of the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC).
If the result is not good, the Olympic stadium will only have a capacity of 40,000 spectators. After the Games, the capacity will be reduced to 14,000.
The first reactions came in March when the QSAC was chosen as the main venue for the Olympic Games, formally cancelling the planned $2.7 billion renovation of the Gabba.
The Brisbane Olympic Games will be held from 23 July to 8 August 2032.