Australian Olympic Committee backs potential Queensland bid for 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games

AOC President John Coates has backed a potential Queensland bid for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games ©Getty Images

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) have thrown their support behind a potential Queensland bid for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

AOC President John Coates wrote to the South East Queensland Mayors in which he promised he would back them in their bid exploration process.

Back in March, the South East Queensland Mayors agreed to look into the idea of staging the 2028 Games, mainly using facilities in Brisbane, and Coates advised them to complete the feasibility study by the end of this year.

“We look forward to working with you on this project of national and international significance,” Coates said in the letter.

The host nation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games is to due to be decided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) until 2021.

That is four years after the host city for 2024 is chosen.

Currently involved in that particular race is Italian capital Rome, American city Boston and Hamburg in Germany and Coates expects interest in the 2028 race to dramatically increase once the 2024 host is chosen.

Australia last hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games when Sydney staged the event in 2000 ©Getty Images

"International interest in the cities bidding for the 2028 Olympics will intensify once the 2024 host city is determined in 2017,” Coates wrote.

“If you wish to proceed, take the first half of 2017 to secure the necessary Government support in order for the AOC to finally consider your bid and make its decision in the second half of that year.”

If Australia were to bid for the 2028 Games, they could come up against a Germany city should Hamburg not be chosen as the 2024 host city.

Any potential bid would have to have the full support of the AOC before it can be officially presented to the IOC.

Coates added that they will be able to explore the possibility further once the IOC release any changes to the bid process which could be made as part of their Agenda 2020 reforms.

“Your consideration of an Olympic bid for South East Queensland is timely as it will provide the opportunity to take advantage of the IOC’s new philosophy whereby candidate cities are invited to present an Olympic project that best matches their sports, economic, social and environmental long term planning needs,” Coates said in the letter.

Australia last hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sydney in 2000.

The country has already been awarded the rights to stage the 2018 Commonwealth Games, which will take place in Gold Coast.