River home to 500 CROCODILES to host Olympic and Paralympic rowing and canoeing at 2032 Brisbane Games

Athletes at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games risk being torn apart by hungry crocodiles in front of a global audience.  

Athletes fear the threat of saltwater crocs after a river in Australia containing more than 500 of them was given the green light for the 2032 Olympic Games. 

The Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland, has been given the go-ahead by organisers for the Olympic and Paralympic rowing and canoeing events after passing its test with 'flying colours'. 

In 2023, local authorities captured a monster 4.5-metre long Saltie after its presence had led to the cancellation of a local regatta. Last year, a four-metre behemoth snatched and killed a 16-month-old Rottweiler named Nigel. 

'I'm sure I'd row faster!' three-time Olympic rowing gold medallist Drew Ginn told BBC Sport. 

'I'm sure all the athletes would row faster. That's on the list of concerns, I don't think it's the highest priority in concerns but it was certainly cited very early on.

'Things like relocating crocodiles out of the river, you sort of go, "does international rowing want to have the athletes in jeopardy of that sort of stuff?"' 

Five-hundred-and-foorty-two rowers signed a letter to the state government asking for a specific facility to be built in south-east Queensland due to concerns over the site, which also has a strong current. The Fitzroy River is six or seven hours away from Brisbane, where the main Games are taking place. 

The river is roughly 300 miles long, meaning it hosts an average of 1.67 crocodiles per mile. Near Rockhampton, the waters are around 50 to 100 metres wide. 

Rockhampton mayor Tony Williams has warned athletes to be 'croc-wise'.

'We're not shying away from it, there are crocodiles in the system,' he told AAP. 

'There's crocodile management that can be put in place.

'I've swum in the river... being aware that they inhabit the rivers, you've just got to be croc-wise.'

The problem was raised at a recent International Olympic Committee meeting.

But organisers have not mentioned rehoming the snappy crocs and are instead adopting a positive attitude. 

Brisbane 2032 President Andrew Liveris said last year: 'There are sharks in the ocean and we're still surfing. It's a can do, not a can't do - please change the mindset here.'

Meanwhile, Queensland's premier, David Crisafulli, said: 'The Fitzroy has passed with flying colours. It’s official, signed, sealed and delivered.'

A report into the river, ordered by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Co-ordination Authority, did not consider the crocodiles but merely how the river would perform under various weather conditions. 

The report did stress that 'contingency plans are in place at events for when crocodiles are spotted and Olympic officials have previously been assured of rower safety'. 

Local crocodile farmer John Lever told AAP that the crocs were not a major worry. 

'There's very few crocodiles in the freshwater, downstream side of the river (near the course) - I think we've had four removed in 40 years,' he said.

'They're not of concern. The schools are out there every day with their rowing teams.'

'Based on the extensive analysis undertaken, we now know that the Fitzroy River is capable of providing fair competition conditions during the period of the Games, consistent with the requirements of Olympic and Paralympic Rowing,' World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland said.

Thomas Konietzko, president of Paddle Worldwide, which deals with canoeing, said: 'The quality and depth of the technical work undertaken has significantly improved our understanding of the field of play and provides confidence to us and our athletes that the course can deliver fair competition for Canoe Sprint athletes.'