By Mitch Gaynor
THE Glass House Mountains have taken centre stage in the unveiling of Brisbane 2032’s new Olympic and Paralympic identity, with the fourth piece of the Games emblems revealed at Wild Horse Mountain today (Oct 2).
The spectacular hinterland backdrop was chosen as the Sunshine Coast stop in a six-part journey down the Queensland coast, which began in Cairns and will culminate with the complete Olympic and Paralympic emblems being unveiled in Brisbane on Monday.
Speaking at Wild Horse Mountain earlier this morning, Brisbane 2032 chief marketing officer Brent Hill even suggested the latest piece bore a resemblance to one of the Glass House Mountains.
“I’ve obviously got a fair idea of what it is, but it certainly looks a little bit like Crookneck Mountain over here,” he said.
Mr Hill said the Wild Horse Mountain setting also reflected the images organisers hoped would be beamed around the world during the Games.
“When you think about the images that we want to show the world, and you think about … cycling going here with Glass House Mountains in the back, that’s exactly the images that we want to show the world.”
The Sunshine Coast is a Brisbane 2032 co-host and is proposed to host Olympic and Paralympic road cycling events, along with mountain biking and other sports.
Gold Medal winning Paralympian swimmer Alexa Leary and Sydney 2000 beach volleyball gold medallist Natalie Cook said the finished emblem would draw together elements from across Queensland.
“I think it’s going to come together to represent our great state from all the way from the tip to the bottom of Queensland, our flora, our fauna, our sunshine, and our seas,” Nat Cook added.
Tourism Minister and Glass House MP Andrew Powell said the statewide unveiling reflected the regional nature of the 2032 Games.
“When the Olympics and Paralympics come around, we want people to come for the sport and stay for the state,” he said.
“And we know we’re the home of the holiday. We want the rest of the world to know that as well.
He also emphasised that the games were more than “just Brisbane”.
“They’re about regional Queensland as well, and there’ll be images of our great state being broadcast around the world,” Mr Powell said.
“And we want to make sure that when people see them, they keep coming back. That’s one of the true legacies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli added the location of the unveiling was perfect to showcase the reach of the Olympics.
“When you look at where we are and this extraordinary vista and how beautiful the Sunshine Coast is, I’m not surprised that the emblem chose here to be revealed in its next stage,” she said.
“It has sensational color sense. It is beautiful. It really represents Queensland in an emblem.”
The full emblems will be revealed at Riverside Green, South Bank, on Monday evening.