The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive board has voted unanimously in favour of Brisbane to host the 2032 Olympics. The decision essentially guarantees that Brisbane will be officially anointed the host city when IOC members cast their vote on July 21.

IOC president Thomas Bach said the board looked “in depth in all aspects of Brisbane 2032” as well as “the strong support across the entire political spectrum in Australia.”

“Sport is seen by many governments around the world as essential to the long-term development of their countries and regions,” Bach said. “The Brisbane 2032 Olympic project shows how forward-thinking leaders recognise the power of sport as a way to achieve lasting legacies for their communities.”

Kristin Kloster Aasen, Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad, said there had been “strong support by all three levels of government.”

“The project centres on delivering the best possible conditions for sport and the athletes in a sport loving country with proven experience in hosting successful major sports events such as the Commonwealth Games in 2018,” Aasen said.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner described the announcement as turning the final corner in a marathon. “You can see the crowd cheering, you can see the finish line,” he told ABC Radio Brisbane.