Olympic Games Trials

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (15:51): It is terrific that you are in the chair, Mr Acting Speaker, because I rise today to talk about the Olympic trials that will be happening here in South Australia at the Matt Cowdrey pool next week when the best swimmers in Australia come together, as they have for so many of the past 10 years since the Marion pool was open, to compete in the Olympic trials to see who is going to Tokyo next month.

The Matt Cowdrey pool was named after the Acting Speaking, who is recognised as Australia's greatest ever Paralympic athlete. It is great to have you in here today, sitting in the big chair and presiding over this wonderful house.

I want to wish all South Australian swimmers all the very best in the Olympic and Paralympic trials next week, in particular Kyle Chalmers, who I think shocked the swimming world in Rio de Janeiro five years ago when he won gold in the 100 metres. What a smoky he was. He did a really good job.

Mr Treloar interjecting:

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Absolutely. He learnt his craft swimming away from sharks, as the member for Flinders correctly points out. He is a terrific guy and I know that Kyle has his head down and training really hard at the moment and then when he gets out of the pool he is trying not to focus on how important next week is for the Olympic trials.

Five years ago, I was down at the Marion swimming centre with Kyle's coaches and so many of his swim squad when Kyle won that Olympic gold medal. It was such a proud moment to see a teenager from South Australia win a very important gold medal for our nation, but more importantly for him and for the community of South Australia as well. Good luck to all those competing at the trials. They start on Saturday. If people can get a ticket, I encourage them to get down there and have a look.

I also want to wish all the best to the cycling team who are heading off to Tokyo. In a former life, I was a cycling journalist, so I still know a lot of those people who are around the sport, in particular Rohan Dennis and Annette Edmondson, a couple of fine South Australians who are heading off to their third Olympic Games. I also wish all the best to someone who is going to their first Olympics, Maeve Plouffe.

A few years ago when I was the Minister for Tourism and had control of the Tour Down Under, we got rid of the models who did the kissing on the stages after each stage race, something that the Tour de France and a lot of the big races around Australia have now taken on as well, and we got the under-17 champion boys to present at the men's Tour Down Under and the under-17 champion girls to present at the women's race. As well as recognising them, it gave them an opportunity to see their international idols up close and personal.

I remember talking to Maeve when she was in the first intake of champions to get on the podium and present flowers and trophies and things, and she said, 'My aim is to go to Japan in 2020 and I want to be there. This has really helped me, being around the big race, so that when I get to that stage, I'm not going to be daunted because, as a 17 year old, I have already seen what it's like on the big stage.'

To Maeve and every South Australian who is heading off to the Olympics and Paralympics, it has been an extraordinarily difficult 12 months with COVID delaying the Olympics for 12 months and this uncertainty about whether or not they are going to go ahead, and I really hope that they do proceed. It is important for the psychological health as well as the physical health of these elite athletes that they do get to perform every four years, so all the very best to them. Of course, we will all be in our green and gold as we support Australia at the Olympic Games.

But tonight I will be wearing the colours of Belgium because one of my very best mates, Tim White, has become the assistant coach of the Belgium women's hockey team, the Red Panthers, and they are in the European championships. They had a great 1-all draw against Germany the other night, and then two nights ago, they beat the Italians 4-0. Tonight they play England and they have to get a draw or better to make it through to the semifinals.

To Tim, I know your mum Patsy, who is a constituent of the member for Colton, the Acting Speaker, will be up at midnight tonight watching the game. Your brother Grant, your sister Trina and all your mates—we will all be watching it. Can I just say to the Red Panthers from the Parliament of South Australia: go panthers!

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Cowdrey): Member for Mawson, I do unfortunately have to remind you that props are out of order within this chamber. I will use my discretion to allow it just this once, although I would have preferred if they were in green and gold. I will add my best wishes to all our athletes who are going over to the games in the coming weeks as well. As a fun fact, Rohan Dennis and I used to swim together through juniors, for the member for Mawson's interest.