Geelong turns green and gold for Paris Olympics

CELEBRATIONS across the City of Greater Geelong are ramping up for the Paris Olympics, which began earlier this week ahead of the Games’ opening ceremony on Saturday (July 27).

In a show of support for the locals competing, the city has organised several activities and initiatives.

Each evening from tomorrow night (Friday, July 26), Geelong’s landmarks including City Hall on Gheringhap Street, The Carousel, the foyer of the civic precinct Wurriki Nyal and the catenary lights at Malop and Moorabool streets will be illuminated in green and gold.

The lights will add to the green-lit trees along Eastern Beach, while ‘Go Aussie’ placards, a mobile billboard, digital signs at the city’s customer service centres and flag banners will be installed across the municipality.

Throughout the Olympic and Paralympic games, the city’s Swim Sports & Leisure members are also invited to register for a short-term ‘Member Olympics Challenge’.

Members will be awarded prizes from Speedo, NovoFit, and Swim Sport & Leisure for visiting the city’s recreation centres 10, 15 and 25 times respectively over the duration of the challenge, with the initiative’s end coinciding with the conclusion of the Paralympics on September 8.

Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan said he was looking forward to watching the Aussies compete for glory in Paris and would be cheering extra hard for the athletes who were Geelong born and bred.

“Geelong council is proud to get in on all the Olympics action and excitement through activities that show our support for our Australian athletes, including some very special local talents,” Cr Sullivan said.

“Australia’s 11th-fastest woman of all time, sprinter Mia Gross, is debuting in Paris after starting her athletic journey at age nine sprinting down the Landy Field track for Grovedale Little Athletics Club.

“Local high jumper Joel Baden, who competed for Peninsula Little Athletics Club and was a regular at Landy Field, will hope to leap over his personal best of 2.33 metres.

“Geelong’s Angus Widdicombe honed his craft as a men’s eight rower along the Barwon and will be looking to improve on his team’s sixth-place finish at Tokyo 2020.

“As a supporter and manager of hundreds of grounds, arenas and facilities, council is thrilled to have played our part in their sporting development.”

He wished each of the region’s athletes good luck in the competition, assuring them that Greater Geelong was behind them.

Deputy mayor Anthony Aitken said there were several other athletes competing this year with connections to the region that Greater Geelong was proud to claim as its own.

“Council is proud to rally behind boxer Marissa Williamson Pohlman, basketballer Jock Landale, distance runner Lauren Ryan, Matildas midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross, shooter Penny Smith, sailor Brin Liddell and rower Ria Thompson, who have spent time in Greater Geelong in their young years while training or in school,” he said.

“Congratulations on making it to the Paris Olympics. We wish you the very best.”