David Harding
TheDevourerHobartians dream to host 2020 Olympic Games
June 10th 2010 16:04
Tasmania has a rich sporting history with Australian Rules Footballers being our major sporting export, Tasmanian cricket is on the rise with the Ford Ranger Cup, and Pura Cup finding it's home in Tasmania in recent times. Ricky Ponting and David Boon being our best known crickers. The state has produced several Olympic medalists including many gold, in sports ranging from Hockey to Rowing. It also has a proud Basketball history, with it's local side the Hobart Chargers being the most dominant team in the South East Australian Basketball League over the last decade.
Then we head towards other sports that Tasmania has produced great sporting icons, sports like Motor racing, rowing, woodchopping, did you know that Woodchopping has been one of the most popular sports in the state? David Foster is the greatest of them all, he is the only athlete in sporting history to have won 1000 championships in any given sport and has completely dominated the sport over the last 30 years.
Recently Marcos Ambrose was back-to-back VB Supercar champion before heading off to the NASCAR over in the states, rowing has been a sport that Tasmania has excelled in, and even tecently we have ourselves some cyclists. But what does this have to do with the Olympics? Well Hobart is looking to become the next destination for the games, sure, I hear you saying "Hobart? That small place surely you are taking the piss?" I had thought the same when I had heard that Hobart City was looking to Host them.
But for now Brisbane Queensland has been pre-selected by the Australian Olynpic Committee as the most likely bid city possibly within 15-20 years which has been further endorsed by Queensland premier Anna Bligh, and Brisbane Lord Mayor Campell Newman. The City previously had a bit for the 1992 Olympics, coming in third to Barcelona and Paris.
So Hobart's unlikely bid has a lot of work to do before it can gain enough weight to be considered, sure there is probably no chance of the games coming to Tasmania, but there are many that are daring to dream.
The idea to bring the Olympics to Hobart began back in 2005 on the then radio show called JAB Schoolies on Edge Radio. Started by Ben Waterworth and Anthony Moran. It was a joke created as an attempt to show Hobartians, and Tasmanians that if you think big, it can maybe pay off with the biggest sport the Summer Olympic Games could in fact become a reality in Hobart City.
Now the bid has grown a lot of legs, and has it's own website located http://hobart2020.org/ and 8000 people on it's official facebook have shown their interest to bring the games to the Apple Isle.
It will be interesting to see how the bid goes, and if this dream of a handful of Hobartians, and Tasmanians starts to gain more momentum, or if it will just be another massive flop like many other Tasmanian sporting bids over the years.
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