A new temporary indoor training facility for street skaters, offering similar conditions to the Olympic venue in Paris, has been developed on the Gold Coast.
The facility at the Queensland Government-owned Gold Coast Recreation Precinct, supported also by the Australian Sports Commission, is designed to support Australia’s Olympic street skate athletes as they prepare to qualify for, and compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The dedicated facility will provide Paris Olympic hopefuls the opportunity to focus on their training, regardless of outdoor conditions and facilities open to the public.
Skate Australia’s Chair Dr Phil Hamdorf said, “With under 60 days to go until the Paris Olympic Games, I want to applaud the Australian Sports Commission, the Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council for creating this world-class temporary venue to help prepare our Olympic hopefuls.
“Since skateboarding was introduced at the Tokyo Olympics, interest in skateboarding has significantly increased and we are proud to have so many athletes in contention for Olympic selection.
“But with this interest comes the need for more facilities to ensure our Australian athletes can match it with the best of the best on the World stage.
“The final Olympic Qualifier will be held in Budapest next month, from which our Paris Olympic team will be selected. The new temporary indoor training facility for our street skaters will give them extra confidence ahead of the important event,” he said.
Olympic hopeful Haylie Powell said “This facility is great, it’s something we have always wanted, it saves me travelling all the way over to Europe like I did earlier this year to train.
“I think it’s amazing, the facility I was training at in Sweden was similar, there’s a few differences but this one is perfect for what we all need for upcoming events.”
Street skater and QAS Gen 32 coach Tommy Fynn said the facility offers a training option that is not impacted by weather conditions and external factors.
“With this new facility our preparations for Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest have been really on point, it has allowed us to stick to a schedule where as before not having an indoor skate park meant we were a bit all over the place with the weather and other skate park users," said Fynn.
“This facility is high level, it’s really similar to what we skate in a competition. The way it has been designed allows you to keep going around in circles to build stamina.”
For more information on the Gold Coast Recreation Precinct visit: https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/activities/areas-facilities/sport-and-recreation-venues/our-precincts-and-venues/gold-coast
