Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:49): I rise today as shadow minister for sport to bring to members' attention something that was reported yesterday in The Advertiser. It has been on the drawing board for some time, I am informed, and came as somewhat of a surprise to me. That is the possibility of new and what I would consider fairly radical changes being made to the qualifying system for the Olympics to be held in Los Angeles in 2028 and specifically for the sport of swimming in particular. I am not aware if it extends to other sports. I do not have any information that suggests it does, but it certainly is being proposed or at least contemplated—is perhaps a better way of putting it—for the sport of swimming.

Particularly what is being proposed is the potential overhaul to ensure that extra places are given to refugees and competitors from smaller developing nations at the Olympics in place of so-called powerhouse nations in that sport, which, of course, includes Australia. Australia has a long history of being very successful in the swimming—in the pool, if you like—at the Olympics.

It has been proposed or at least contemplated that the number of places allocated to the so-called powerhouse nations, which includes Australia, be reduced for no other reason than that we are particularly good at it. If that is the case, then I will strongly object to that. Surely, the Olympics is one thing that should be on merit.

It is understood that the proposal will cap the total maximum number of swimmers permitted for Los Angeles at exactly 830; it was previously 852 for the Paris Olympics in 2024. The countries that traditionally dominate the sport will therefore receive a lower percentage of the available spots, with more allocated to swimmers from smaller nations. Places will also be reserved for refugees and athletes from banned countries—I found this quite extraordinary—including Russia, having specific places at the expense of, again to use that term, the powerhouse nations, including Australia, which I think is unfortunate.

Due to the decrease in available places for the fastest Australian swimmers the time standard that will be required in order to qualify for individual events will actually be more difficult than ever for Olympic hopefuls. That is, you will have less places for the so-called powerhouse nations and therefore people within those nations will have to be even faster than they would have had to have been previously in order just to qualify. The number of places for each event will also be limited, as I have just outlined, due to the addition of six new races to the program; namely, the 50-metre backstroke, the 50-metre butterfly and the 50-metre breaststroke for both men and women, so six additional events.

The Chief Sports Officer at the World Aquatics, Mike Unger, had apparently stated when he was interviewed about this matter that by developing the new regime officials were attempting to strike a balance between retaining as many of the best swimmers possible for the games while simultaneously having more countries represented in the sport. No doubt that is a noble aim, at some level at least, but it should not be at the expense of those nations which have traditionally excelled in the sport. Whilst I will appreciate the sentiment, I will respectfully disagree with the overall objective.

Should these changes be implemented, I believe it could lead to a slippery slope, incorporating even more allowances that get taken away from enabling the best athletes in the world to compete against each other. I am of the firm opinion that athletes should continue to be selected for the games based purely on merit and not be penalised for being from any particular nation. This is just not what the Olympics should be. The best of the best should be competing against each other. Indeed, is that not the whole point of the Olympics?

I think Australian swimmers who aspire to be part of the Olympics would be training with the mindset that if they manage to make it as part of the swimming team they will indeed be competing on the international stage against other swimmers who will challenge them at their level in the sport. The best want to compete with the best. That is what the Olympics are.

I have read with interest comments that have been made by the community in the comments section following these stories being circulated in the media, most particularly The Advertiser. Many of them overwhelmingly—90 plus per cent in my estimation of people reading that article—strongly disagree with the intention of this proposed change.

All I can say in the limited time I have left is that it is my sincere hope that this does not eventuate. People want the Olympics to be the absolute peak of its particular sports. They want to see the best athletes in the entire world competing against the best athletes from the rest of the world. It should be that; it has to be that. That is what the Olympics always has been. I think if we change that basic formula, that basic premise, then the Olympics is no longer something that it once was, and that would be a terrible shame in my view.