The Courier-Mail Page 1 Of2

Sleeman facilities ramped up for skiers IThe Courier-Mail Page 1 of2

The Courier-Mail

eM iPad section Sport Front Page Sleeman facilities ramped up for skiers

• by: Alex Murdoch • From: The Courier-Mail • December 03, 2010 11 :OOPM

Source: AP

AUSTRALIA'S best aerial skiers, including reigning gold medallist Lydia Lassila, will soon call Brisbane home.

The Sleeman Aquatic Centre at Chandler will soon boast a multimillion-dollar national water-jump training centre funded jointly by the state and federal governments.

Queensland Sports Minister Phil Reeves said the facility, announced today but due for completion mid-next year, would house six ski ramps up to 24m in height at olle end of a 4m deep Olympic pool.

The ramps alone would cost $4 million.

"Currently there is no high-performance training centre in the southern hemisphere ... so this will be the only facility in the world accessible for 12 months of the year," he said.

But the facility, which was originally approved by the Howard government, almost didn't happen after being cut by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

It took a personal appeal from Lassila after her gold medal win in Vancouver earlier this year to turn the tide.

http://www.couriermai1.com.au/ipad/sleeman-facilities-ramped-up-for-skiers/story-fn... 19/06/2012 Sleeman facilities ramped up for skiers IThe Courier-Mail Page 2 of2

Federal Sports Minister Mark Arbib said yesterday aerial skiers were among Australia's most successful female Olympic athletes and it was important this continued.

Olympic Winter Institute of Australia chief executive Geoff Lipshut said aerial skiing already boasted two Olympic gold medallists - Lassila and 2002 champion Alisa Camplin.

"We also have five-times world champion Jacqui Cooper and 17-times world cup winner Kirstie Marshall," he said.

"So we've had between those four female athletes a huge heritage for the sport and that's been going on for the last 20 years."

Lipshut said the new facility, which took advantage of Queensland's fabulous year-round weather, was essential because international training venues had dried up due to Australia's success.

He said Australia, which had been campaigning for a new training centre for almost a decade, would now go from a disadvantaged country with little snow to one of the best equipped countries on the planet.

"We think we can build the best facility in the world," Lipshut said.

"The climate actually gives us a competitive advantage over the rest of the world.

"We'll be the only team in the world that can train on water one day and jump on snow the next because flying from Brisbane in August down to Mt Bulla is only about five hours, so it's pretty easy."

A spokesman for Reeves' office said the new facility was just part of a series of upgrades on the complex which had not been updated for 25 years.

http://www.couriermail.com.aulipadlsleeman-facilities-ramped-up-for-skiers/story-fn... 19/06/2012