Agreement signed for Gold Coast hosting of 2024 Lifesaving World Championships

The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) and Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) have signed an agreement to host the Lifesaving World Championships on the Gold Coast in 2024.

ILS President Graham Ford AM and SLSQ acting Chief Executive Kris Beavis signed the agreement to host the event during the 2019 SportAccord event yesterday, watched by the Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

Returning to the Gold Coast for the first time since 1988, the biennial Championships will see the ocean events held at Kurrawa Beach and the pool events being held at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre at Southport. With 10 separate World Championships events being conducted the event is expected to be held in late August/early September 2024.

Promising to be one of the biggest international sporting events held in Queensland since last year’s Commonwealth Games of 2018, the event is expected to attract more than 5000 competitors from 50 countries to the Gold Coast over 17 days of competition.

With more than 12,000 spectators also expected to attend the event is predicted to deliver more than $15 million in economic benefit for the city.

Mayor Tate expressed his great pleasure that the ILS will be bringing the Championships to the city and promised that the Gold Coast will provide the warmest of welcomes to participants from all over the world.

Ford, who is also President of Surf Life Saving Australia, highlighted the exceptional quality of the facilities at Southport and Kurrawa that will ensure that LWC 2024 is a huge success.

In response, on behalf of the hosts, Kris Beavis thanked the ILS for the confidence being placed in SLSQ and the Gold Coast to deliver this important event.

Images: ILS President Graham Ford AM and SLSQ acting Chief Executive Kris Beavis signed the agreement to host the event during the 2019 SportAccord event yesterday, watched by the Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate (top) and action from the 2018 Lifesaving World Championships in Adelaide (below).