River with 500 huge crocodiles chosen as Olympics rowing venue despite major safety concerns

CRIKEY! Olympic chiefs have given rowing events more bite – by adding CROCODILES. But Team GB gold medallist Imogen Grant insists the giant reptiles do not faze her. Crocodiles could be among the unexpected spectators when Olympic rowing and canoeing events head to Queensland for Brisbane 2032 Credit: Alamy Kayakers could be in for a big surprise when they take to the Fitzroy River, with hundreds of crocodiles calling the waterway home Credit: Shutterstock Organisers for the 2032 ­Brisbane Games confirmed yesterday that rowing and canoeing races will be held on the Fitzroy River, home to 500 saltwater crocs, which can grow up to SIX METRES in length. The river in Rockhampton, Queensland – a ­seven-hour drive from Brisbane – was deemed suitable for the Olympic and Paralympics after an independent assessment. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! But the close proximity of the apex predators was not taken into consideration. And Grant, 30, who won the lightweight double sculls title with Emily Craig at Paris 2024, is pretty chilled about sharing the water with the toothy beasts. The doctor, who is back in training for the quadruple sculls at the 2028 Los ­Angeles Olympics, said: “Brisbane is a possibility for me but it is less than 50-50 at this point. I would love to be there as a volunteer or as a team doctor even. “My initial reaction is I don’t give two hoots about the crocodiles – I care more about where it is in relation to Brisbane. “I have to trust that World Rowing does its due diligence in terms of a fair course. That’s not something I can assess. “But as an athlete, I would not want to feel there is a party happening in a place that I am not. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK An aerial view of Rockhampton in Queensland, where the Fitzroy River is set to host rowing and canoeing events at the 2032 Olympics Credit: Alamy “If you are six to seven hours away in Rockhampton, it’s big. And there are lakes closer, which I think is the main thing. “I honestly wouldn’t mind the crocodiles – I’d hope they would maybe clear them while we are racing, so we don’t hit them or are slowed down. “A lot of the time I would be so focused on the rowing and racing, I wouldn’t even notice it. I’d be more worried for the coaches cycling on the banks or the coxes that steer the boats. They’d see the crocodiles. “I haven’t been there before. From what I understand is there is some rowing that happens there but not very much. I do think it’s untested at the moment. “I have rowed at places where there are plenty of wildlife. There is a course in Sarasota, Florida, that has alligators and you always get some good pictures of them watching the racing as people go by. “I have raced on the tideway in London and had an encounter with a tideway seal. So actually the nature part is quite cool.“I just want to be close to Brisbane. The Fitzroy Bridge stretches across the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland, with the waterway set to welcome Olympic athletes in 2032 Credit: Getty “Because all of the water in Florida is interconnected, there are areas where the alligators can roam freely but they make sure they are not a danger during the racing – it’s never an issue in Sarasota. “I don’t know if the crocodiles would be much of an issue – unless there are 100s of them clogging the course.” Brisbane 2032 President Andrew Liveris has already played down the threat of the hypercarnivores. He 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.” That is all well and good, but we would still be betting on the croc-fuelled adrenalin meaning world records are broken Down Under. Comment now