2032 Olympic rowing venue will be a river that’s home to 500 crocodiles: ”I’d row faster”

Rowers competing in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics just received an extra incentive to break records, as the official flatwater events venue has been announced: the Fitzroy River. The river in Queensland is a known crocodile habitat, home to approximately 500 of the animals.  

Despite the number of crocodiles, though, the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) released a statement confirming that the river can “provide a safe, fair and consistent field of play suitable for rowing, Para rowing, canoe sprint and Para canoe events.” The statement comes in the wake of testing done by GIICA and reviewed by other organizations.

Despite assurances of safety, some remain concerned

The Queensland Government released its own statement that said that after an assessment of its suitability, Fitzroy River had been endorsed by World Rowing and Paddle Australia. However, the assessment did not seem to include any mention of the crocodiles.

GIICA’s statement also relayed that the river is already used for competition and training in flatwater sports, including state championships for local schools. This means contingency plans are already in place in case of a crocodile sighting, which should improve rower safety.

The statement touted the regional benefits of using the river, as well: “Hosting Games flatwater events in Rockhampton will inspire local athletes, boost the regional economy, and ensure the benefits of the Games are shared by communities across the state.”

However, some people still aren’t convinced of the Fitzroy River’s safety, including Drew Ginn, an Australian gold medalist rower (and one of many notable Australians).

He reportedly told the BBC, “I’m sure I’d row faster, I’m sure all the athletes would row faster. That’s on the list of concerns, I don’t think it’s the highest priority in concerns but it was certainly cited very early on. Things like relocating crocodiles out of the river, you sort of go, ‘Does international rowing want to have the athletes in jeopardy of that sort of stuff?’”

The river has its defenders too

Of course, the Fitzroy has plenty of people defending its use, such as Brisbane 2032 President Andrew Liveris, who purportedly said at one point, “There are sharks in the ocean and we’re still surfing… it’s a can do, not a can’t do – please change the mindset here.”

Additionally, for those who remain concerned, local crocodile farmer John Lever explained to Nine.com that during the winter months (when the games are held), crocodiles have a harder time moving around as they are mostly trying to stay warm. The river’s temperatures will drop, and as a result, the crocodiles will become lethargic. Essentially, during this period, they aren’t hungry or territorial, so they shouldn’t have an incentive to attack humans.

Lever also reportedly stated, “It’s an issue that I think is getting blown out of all proportion, to tell you the truth,” before going on to use a similar “sharks in the ocean” analogy as Liveris did.

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