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It’s day two of the staggered unveiling of the Brisbane 2032 Games emblems, and the state is one piece closer to seeing the final design – though two of six pieces is proving largely a guessing game.
NRL legends Johnathan Thurston and Sam Thaiday revealed another piece of the emblem at Castle Hill Lookout in Townsville on Wednesday morning.
Thurston admitted he had “no idea” what the emblems – one for the Olympics and one for the Paralympics – could be.
“I was thinking maybe they could have been two ears of a kangaroo as the emblem,” he said. “You know, you think of Australia, you’re thinking kangaroos, aren’t you?
“But I also like the Sunshine State idea.”
The former North Queensland Cowboys hero said the impact on Townsville from co-hosting events in 2032 would be huge.
The city hoped to host soccer preliminaries at North Queensland Stadium, with sailing in the Whitsundays using a mix of existing facilities and temporary stands.
“This is what Townsville was built for – with the stadium that we’ve got now, it’s attracting world-class events,” Thurston said.
“We had Pink here last year or the year before. We’ve got the Foo Fighters, we’ve got Guns N’ Roses coming, so we’re starting to attract world-class artists, and now we’ve got events such as the Olympics.
“It’s one of the biggest events in the world. To have those events here right in our backyard, I know that everyone will show up for it.”
Thaiday theorised the second piece of the Games emblems could be a flame or a leaf.
“I’m looking forward to seeing [what’s unveiled in] Rockhampton next, so we can start to put some of these puzzle pieces together,” he said.
Thaiday said he was incredibly excited to see events run in his home town.
“As a young kid, my actual dream was to go to the Olympics.
“Now I can help out and be involved, and go and be a spectator and be a fan. I think that’s the beautiful thing about where my life is at the moment. I’m a fan.
“This is a great opportunity to inspire the next generation, put the iPad down, go outside, find something that you love and enjoy.
“Who knows, JT and I might even … if there’s lawn bowls at the Olympics we could make a team.
“Thurston and TNT, we’re dynamite. We’ve got theme songs and everything ready to go.”
Retired swimmer Ian Thorpe and Paralympic swimmer Grant “Scooter” Patterson unveiled the first piece of the emblems for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games on Tuesday at Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, kicking off a multi-day rollout stretching across the state.
It was a long ray-like golden design, prompting speculation it could be part of a Sunshine State-inspired design, or part of a crocodile, turtle or even Queensland’s official flower, the Cooktown orchid.
It is the first time the emblems have been revealed in pieces.
Four more pieces of the emblem are left to be unveiled, followed by a final reveal of how they come together on Monday morning in Brisbane.
Two emblems will be revealed, one for the Olympic Games and one for the Paralympic Games, though they will likely be very similar. They are traditionally separate, though Paris 2024 had a joint emblem.
Each of the Games has featured its own emblem since Paris 1924, though Athens 1896 had its own coat of arms.
The emblems signify the ethos of each Games.
Brisbane 2032’s theme, unveiled late last year, is: Believe. Become. Belong.
The Games’ organising committee said it signified a series of commitments.
Believe: “We believe in the power of sport and our Australian spirit. Together, they unlock our limitless potential, grit and heart to go further than we ever imagined.”
Belong: “Everyone is welcome at our Games. Every person is celebrated, creating a playing field that’s fair and fun.”
Become: “This is our moment and our move. Together, we’ll harness the magic of the Games to become stronger, taking us into an exciting new era.”
Cairns will also likely host soccer preliminaries for Brisbane 2032 at Barlow Park. The Cairns Convention Centre has also been earmarked as a possible venue for indoor sport events.
The next stop on the tour, Rockhampton, is slated to host rowing, canoe sprints, paracanoe and paralympic rowing events on the Fitzroy River.
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