New Action and Acceleration Centre of Excellence to be established in Brisbane

A new Action and Acceleration Centre of Excellence will be established in Brisbane from 2025 in partnership with the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) as the state gears up to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The AusCycling Action and Acceleration Centre of Excellence will see the primary training environments for national track sprint and BMX racing programs based out of Anna Meares Velodrome and Brisbane SX International BMX Centre at Sleeman Sports Complex.

The Centre enables all action and acceleration sports to be supported by the QAS in south-east Queensland, joining the BMX freestyle national program on the Gold Coast.

AusCycling Chief Executive Officer Marne Fechner said AusCycling was delighted to be strengthening its partnership with the QAS to create a world-leading facility and performance program.

“The recent performances of our action and acceleration athletes and staff at the Paris Olympics shows that we will be launching this Centre from a position of great strength,” Fechner said.

“On behalf of the entire cycling and riding community and those who will be following the progress of our athletes toward LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032, we thank the Queensland Government, the QAS and the many people in the AusCycling team who have brought this dream to life.”

AusCycling Executive General Manager of Performance Jesse Korf said the new Centre provides a brilliant opportunity to continue developing our elite athletes while nurturing the future generations of Australian stars in the velodrome and on the BMX tracks and ramps.

“This initiative will provide our track sprinters, BMX freestylers and BMX racers with access to world-class facilities which will be featured at the 2032 Olympic Games. They will also have the benefit of outstanding coaches, support staff and enhanced performance support,” Korf said.

“I thank the QAS and Queensland Government for their partnership and commitment on this project and also acknowledge the wonderful work of the team at the South Australian Sports Institute who have provided exemplary support for our track sprinters for many years.”

Queensland 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 Brisbane SX International BMX Centre, they continue to create even more opportunities for our future Olympians.”

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

Clonan said she was excited to be relocating back to her home state of Queensland to join the new Action and Acceleration Centre of Excellence.

“Personally, heading back to Queensland is fantastic for me as I’m from the Sunshine Coast, so this is a special opportunity to head home,” Clonan said.

“The QAS 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.

“But I have spent most of my career in South Australia, so a huge thanks goes to the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) and the South Australian Government for their support and for making us feel welcome in their state.

“With their support we have made leaps and bound progress in the program. I’ll be forever thankful for my time in Adelaide.”

The first athletes and staff involved in the Centre are expected to be inducted in January 2025.

AusCycling will retain a presence at Adelaide Super-Drome for its endurance and para-cycling programs and is grateful for the ongoing support of SASI and the South Australian Government.