MEDIA STATEMENT: New centre of excellence to accelerate cycling ahead of Brisbane 2032

New centre of excellence to accelerate cycling ahead of Brisbane 2032

• AusCycling’s Action and Acceleration Centre of Excellence is being established in Brisbane with the national Track Sprint and BMX Racing programs located at the Sleeman Sports Complex.
• Some of the world’s best cyclists, including Olympic gold medallist Saya Sakakibara, will have their primary Australian training base in Queensland.
• Positions athletes for success towards the LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Games.

A national cycling Centre of Excellence will be established in Brisbane as Queensland gears up to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Track Sprint program will operate from the Anna Meares Velodrome – a testament to the lasting benefits of the $59 million investment in the Anna Meares Velodrome build ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games – with BMX Racing at the Brisbane SX BMX Centre.

AusCycling’s Action and Acceleration Centre of Excellence will see the national Track Sprint and BMX Racing programs located at the Sleeman Sports Complex and supported by the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS).

National program athletes including Olympic gold medallist and BMX racer Saya Sakakibara will relocate to Queensland from January 2025.

Minister for Sport and Racing and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tim Mander said the Centre positions Queensland strongly on the Green and Gold runway to Brisbane 2032.

“As the host state for the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships, 2028 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, the 2030 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the 2032 Games, Queensland is the perfect place for AusCycling to develop its national program,” Minister Mander said.

“Together with recent $1.5 million upgrades to the SX International BMX Centre, they continue to create even more opportunities for our future Olympians.”

AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner said the move meant athletes were positioned for success leading in to LA2028 and Brisbane 2032.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Queensland Academy of Sport to create what will be a world-leading facility and performance program,” said Ms Fechner.

“The recent performances of our Action and Acceleration athletes and staff at the Paris Olympics shows that we will be launching this Centre of Excellence from a position of great strength.

“We thank the Queensland Government, the QAS and the many people in the AusCycling team who have brought this dream to life.”

Paris Olympian Kristina Clonan is looking forward to calling the new centre home.

“I’m very excited to be relocating back home to Queensland to be part of the new Action and Acceleration Centre of Excellence,” Clonan said.

“The Queensland Academy of Sport has incredible facilities and Anna Meares Velodrome is a world-class track, so to be able to train on that incredible velodrome full-time will be amazing.”

AusCycling staff and athletes involved in the new program will begin arriving in Queensland in January 2025 and the relocation should be complete by March 2025.

Footage is available for download here.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Amanda Templeton 0417 657 437