A host of surf lifesaving legends have joined a concerted move for the sport to feature at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
The International Life Saving Federation (ILSF) and Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) announced their intentions to lobby for its inclusion at Maroochydore on Friday.
Former and current stars of the surf Karla Gilbert, Trevor Hendy, Ken Wallace, Kristy Munroe, Courtney Hancock and Georgia Miller were among those to get behind it.
Lifesaving has been a breeding ground for Olympians like Wallace (kayaking), Ky Hurst (open-water swimming), Clint Robinson (kayaking), Grant Kenny (kayaking), Michelle Steele (skeleton), Tom Green (kayaking), Kim Crowe (rowing) and Grant Hackett (swimming).
ILSF president Graham Ford said lifesaving continued to grow around the world and it was time to pursue the Olympic pathway.
“Today marks the first official steps we are taking in pursuing an Olympic dream .. with some of the biggest names in the sport, both past and present, joining us,” he said.
“Lifesaving (as a) sport continues to grow, with our world championships attracting more than 7000 competitors across multiple age groups.
“Our goal is to have the ocean man and ocean woman events, together with a mixed ocean relay, included as part of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.”
Mr Ford said the sport aligned with the International Olympic Committee’s vision of “building a better world through sport”.
“All members of our sport (are) committed to not only top-level competition, but also saving lives through their humanitarian work in volunteer organisations,” he said.
The announcement was made during the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Sunshine Coast. The nine-day event attracted more than 8100 participants.
SLSA president John Baker said the sport was a perfect fit for Brisbane 2032.
“(It) is an iconic part of the Australian way of life and what better way to showcase the best of the nation at home Olympic Games than introducing surf lifesaving,” he said.
“We want to create a pathway for our athletes, so they don’t leave our sport to pursue an Olympic dream.
“In Australia, we have more than 80,000 members aged under 18 years old, showing the depth and breadth of our movement and a strong pathway from which athletes could be selected.”
Former world and Australian ironman champion Hendy was excited by the quest.
“The fact that we’ve put our foot on the line and said we really want to be in this … I was a bit nervous because it means so much to so many people,” he said.
“The lifesaving movement is a movement of the heart.
“We have members from nippers all the way up through people racing at 70, 80 years of age.
“All of those people, at some stage in their life, have been involved in rescuing people, and all of these people are volunteering their time on the weekends to keep our beaches safe.”
Former world and Australian champion Gilbert said “it would be amazing” for the sport to be contested in 2032.
“I am just so excited by the thought of our sport going on that next tier, presenting what we do to the world,” she said.
“We’ve got not just the athletes themselves, but the community behind us.
“When we talk about 80,000 nippers that are involved in the movement from Australia alone, and you give each of them that purpose or that dream to be able to go to the Olympics or have that goal to go to the Olympics, it’s a massive audience. To be able to take our sport to a bigger stage would be amazing.”
Triple Olympian and Olympic kayak gold medalist Wallace said there was “an incredible opportunity.”
“The skills and athleticism of all these athletes down here is incredible and it fits the Olympic movement.”
The ILSF is set to work with key stakeholders from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games to pursue avenues to entry into the Olympics.
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