Swimming Australia, in partnership with Tourism Events Queensland and Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA), are thrilled to announce that Brisbane Aquatic Centre will host the 2024 Australian Trials from 10th-15th June.
The Australian Trials rank as the most prestigious domestic swimming event in national calendar and the 2024 Trials will serve as the sole selection meet for the Dolphins Swimming Team to compete in Paris.
Hundreds of families, friends and fans are expected to fill Brisbane Aquatic Centre over the six-day meet as the likes of Olympic champions and world record holders Kaylee McKeown, Kyle Chalmers, Emma McKeon, Sam Short, Mollie O’Callaghan, Tim Hodge and Alexa Leary vie for the chance to wear the green and gold.
Swimming Australia welcomed the support of Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) for this event on the path to Brisbane 2032.
“There is no bigger, more exciting, everything-on-the-line selection event in this country than the Swimming Trials and we are incredibly excited for the trials to return to Brisbane and, in partnership with TEQ and BEDA, to deliver a world-class event,” Interim Swimming Australia CEO Steve Newman said.
“The Brisbane Aquatic Centre is synonymous with the sport of swimming, and this is the chance to see athletes from the number one swimming country in the world have their final hit out before the Olympic and Paralympic Games – and thanks to our broadcast partnership with Nine all events will be broadcast or streamed live on free to air television.”
Queensland Tourism and Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe welcomed the event to Brisbane.
“I want to wish all competitors the best of luck as they set their sights on booking a spot on the Australian team for the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“Queensland is fast establishing itself as the sports event capital of Australia and hosting these prestigious trials will further enhance that reputation on the runway to the 2032 Brisbane Games.
“The two events are projected to attract more than 7500 swimming fans across the five days of competition with visitors to spend $10 million in the local economy.”
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the 2024 Australian Trials were a chance to witness the country’s biggest swimming stars in action.
“Next June, the Australian Trials will transform Brisbane Aquatic Centre into an arena of unmissable action, as the biggest names in swimming compete to represent Australia at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris,” Cr Schrinner said.
“The six-day sporting spectacle will attract families, friends and fans from across the country to cheer on athletes, boosting our economy through stays in Brisbane’s world-class hotels, and enjoying our restaurants and tourism experiences.
“On behalf of Brisbane, we look forward to welcoming and supporting our aspiring Dolphins as they pursue their Olympic and Paralympic dreams in Paris and beyond.”
National head coach Rohan Taylor said he couldn’t wait to see what the able-bodied athletes would produce after a successful World Championships in Fukuoka and most recently a three-meet European World Cup campaign, and the Paralympic athletes after their most successful Worlds’ campaign in Manchester.
“It’s a great chance to see our Dolphins in action up close …the women’s 100m final, for example, will be tougher to win than the Olympic final with the fastest swimmers in the word likely to feature in every lane, and I’m excited about the breakout performances that Olympic and Paralympic trials inspire,” Taylor said.
“Just a couple of years ago, a teenager called Kaylee McKeown had a breakout meet before Tokyo and went on to win gold, and going back further in time another young fella called Ian Thorpe broke two world records at the Sydney Olympic Trials – so there’s always something special.”
General Manager of Swimming Australia Paralympic Program Anna Johnson said: “We have such an incredible group of athletes ready to make their mark in Paris.”
“For most, it’s been countless years of preparation and with a mix of veterans and rising stars, we can expect some outstanding performance.
“Competition at the Trials is going to be impossible to miss and I can’t wait for the Australian public to see how dedicated, inspirational and elite our athletes are.”
The Paris 2024 team announcements will take place on pool deck in the evening following racing on June 14 and June 15, with the Paralympic team unveiled first, followed by the Olympic team on the final night.
Swimming Australia, TEQ and BEDA are also pleased to announce that the Brisbane Aquatic Centre will also host the 2025 Australian Age Championships and Open Championships, to be held in April.
“We are also delighted to be able to announce that the Brisbane Aquatic Centre will host the 2025 Australian Age and Open Championships,” said Newman.
“We have worked hard to getting our long-term calendar locked away after some challenges post COVID and being able to provide certainty to our swimming community is a great achievement.
“We thank TEQ and BEDA for their support of this important event in our national calendar.”