Australia approves 2032 Olympic site, a river home to 500 crocodiles

A stretch of the Fitzroy River in Australia, home to about 500 saltwater crocodiles, has been approved to host rowing competitions during the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The BBC writes about this.

The site successfully passed an independent technical assessment. However, crocodiles were not taken into account in the assessment. Instead, experts studied “how the course would function under different conditions, weather scenarios, water levels and flood risk both during the games and throughout the period leading up to them”.

The report was commissioned by the Games Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA). The Fitzroy River is home to a rowing complex that hosts school championships, tournaments and national team training camps.

The venue also has safety protocols in place in case crocodiles appear during the competition. Olympic organizers have previously said that rowers will be safe.

Saltwater crocodiles, known locally as "salties", live in both fresh and salt water and can grow to over six meters in length.

• The 2032 Olympic Games will be held in the Australian city of Brisbane from July 23 to August 8. Australia will host the Summer Olympics for the third time (after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000).

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