Latest piece of Brisbane 2032 Games puzzle leaves athletes up river with no paddle

A third part of the Brisbane 2032 Games emblems has been revealed, and sleuths trying to piece together the entire design before its full reveal will be thankful: it’s not another squiggle that could be a flame, leaf, feather or sun ray.

Or an eyebrow, if you’re NRL legend Sam Thaiday.

Instead, piece No.3 is almost a sphere, in gold and magenta.

The third element of the emblems for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games was revealed by retired track cyclist and Paris Chef de Mission Anna Meares and Paralympian wheelchair sprints athlete Angie Ballard on Thursday in Rockhampton’s Riverside Park.

The first squiggle was revealed by swimmers Ian Thorpe and Grant “Scooter” Patterson in Cairns on Tuesday, then NRL legends Johnathan Thurston and Thaiday revealed the second squiggle at Castle Hill Lookout in Townsville a day later.

The multi-day rollout of emblem pieces is stretching down the Queensland coast, landing on the Sunshine Coast on Friday followed the Gold Coast and Brisbane. The final design will be revealed on Monday morning.

Meares theorised the emblems could form part of an animal.

“I’ve been watching the last couple of days, and my initial thoughts was maybe it’s a local flower or a sun, and then after today I’m like, maybe it could be an artistic version of the bearded dragon,” she said.

Ballard said the third piece was a bit of a curveball.

“I feel like we were heading in a direction the last two days, and today has definitely thrown that off course,” she said.

“I was thinking a little botanical, maybe a bird of paradise. Now I’m like, is this something to do with the sun and the sun rays? I don’t know.”

Rockhampton has been a controversial choice to host rowing and canoe sprints events on its Fitzroy River Barrage, a concrete structure that separates the downstream tidal saltwater section from the upstream freshwater section.

World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide signed off on the field-of-play technical report last month, though this was but one of many hurdles before the venue would be officially approved.

Premier David Crisafulli has been steadfast in his government’s captain’s call to host rowing in the city – against GIICA’s recommendations – as a show of faith in regional Queensland.

The south-east Queensland rowing community, meanwhile, remains apoplectic about the location. It has been championing a purpose-built Olympic and legacy venue at Lawnton, in Brisbane’s urban outer-north.

The beef capital has also raised its hand to host other events at its stadiums, such as rugby.

Locals say Aurizon Stadium, which offers sweeping views of Rockhampton and its surrounding mountains from its new stand, would be able to host any rectangular sport.

Of the sports confirmed for LA 2028, that could include soccer, flag football, lacrosse or rugby sevens.

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