Olympic champion weighs into huge $250m Bruce redevelopment plan

Résumé détaillé

Games gold medallist opens up about Canberra's role in her success.

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus knows a thing or two about what it takes to become a champion athlete.

And her journey from Launceston to the top of Olympic podiums included many visits to Canberra thanks to the high-performance facilities at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Now retired, touring the country and returning to Canberra this week to promote her new book, Relentless, Titmus believes that the AIS redevelopment plans are vital to continuing the Bruce site's proud sporting legacy.

"If they can get this redevelopment right, it's going to be an amazing performance tool not just for swimming but for a lot of different sports in the lead up to the Olympics and Paralympics in 2028 and 2032," Titmus told The Canberra Times.

Set for the biggest facelift in its history, the AIS redevelopment announced in September will include a state-of-the-art multi-sport air dome, long-awaited new athlete residences and a world-class testing centre, along with other facility upgrades as part of a $250 million investment in the campus.

The National Capital Authority recently opened submissions for public consultation of works approval applications, closing on November 27.

The proposed work is described as a game-changer by AIS boss Kieren Perkins, as the ageing sports training base secured significant federal funding and narrowly avoided being relocated to Queensland.

Like many athletes that have come through the AIS in their career, Titmus has fond memories of her time in the bush capital.

"I actually remember one of my first national training camps was at the AIS when I was 13, and I didn't know a single soul on the camp because I was this young kid coming from Tassie. But it felt so cool to be at the AIS," Titmus said.

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