An Australian river home to an estimated 500 saltwater crocodiles has been approved as a venue for rowing and canoeing at the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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According to the BBC, the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland, has passed an independent technical assessment confirming that it is suitable to host the events. The assessment considered factors including weather conditions, water levels and flood risk, but notably did not assess the river’s crocodile population.
A river shared with hundreds of crocodiles
The Fitzroy River is home to around 500 saltwater crocodiles, locally known as “Salties”. The species can live in both freshwater and saltwater environments and is the largest living reptile, with some individuals growing to more than six metres long.
Despite the unusual neighbours, the Fitzroy River Flatwater Facility is already used for rowing and other flatwater sports. It hosts school championships, local regattas and national team training camps, with contingency procedures in place when crocodiles are spotted in the area.
World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide, the international governing bodies for rowing and canoe sprint respectively, have both endorsed the venue following the technical assessment.
World Rowing president Jean-Christophe Rolland said the analysis showed that the river could provide fair competition conditions during the Games, while Paddle Worldwide president Thomas Konietzko said the work had increased confidence that the venue could deliver suitable conditions for canoe sprint athletes.
Why are the Brisbane Olympics being held in Rockhampton?
Rockhampton is roughly 600km north of Brisbane and will be one of the locations outside the Queensland capital used for the 2032 Games.
The Fitzroy River venue is already an established flatwater sporting facility, making it possible to build on existing infrastructure rather than creating an entirely new venue. The latest assessment focused on whether the course could meet the requirements of Olympic and Paralympic competition under a range of conditions.
The crocodiles, however, remain an obvious talking point.
Brisbane 2032 president Andrew Liveris previously played down concerns about Australia’s wildlife, comparing the situation to surfing in waters where sharks are present. Following the venue’s endorsement, he said the decision provided greater certainty for the next stage of venue planning and Games delivery.
Former Olympic champion raises concerns
Not everyone is convinced that the Fitzroy River is the ideal setting for an Olympic event.
Australian rower Drew Ginn, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, told BBC Radio that he had concerns about flooding, competitive fairness and the experience for athletes and spectators at a venue some six or seven hours from Brisbane.
Ginn said he was not particularly fearful of Australia’s wildlife, but acknowledged that having a crocodile nearby would be an unfamiliar experience for many athletes. He also questioned how changing river conditions could affect different lanes during a race.
His concerns come despite the international rowing and canoeing bodies endorsing the venue after reviewing the technical assessment.
For now, the Fitzroy River has been cleared to continue through the planning process. By 2032, athletes competing for Olympic and Paralympic medals could find themselves racing on a river where hundreds of Australia’s famously formidable reptiles live.
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