Olympics-AIS should make Games-inspired Brisbane move, says Wylie

(Reuters) - Former Australian Sports Commission chair John Wylie has called for the Australian Institute of Sport to relocate to Brisbane following the city's successful bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games.

Wylie, who served as ASC chair for eight years, said the AIS should switch from its current base in Canberra, where it has been located since opening in 1981.

"The Olympics and Paralympics, 2032 is a moment of opportunity for Australian sport and two things would be great to capitalise on that; one more would be more investment in the next generation of athletes and secondly, investing in a new AIS," Wylie said.

"I personally think the AIS should be based in southeast Queensland. I think that's the right place for athletes.

"I think there's going to be this really significant gravitational pull in Australian sport towards southeast Queensland as a result of 2032. And so I think it'd be a fantastic legacy."

Brisbane was awarded the Olympic and Paralympic Games days before the start of Tokyo 2020 and will become the first Australian city to host the event since Sydney in 2000.

The AIS previously produced a string of top Australian stars, but in recent years sports and athletes have left the national centre in favour of basing themselves at state-based performance facilities.

(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Michael Perry)

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