Australian wheelchair racing legend Kurt Fearnley will have a $10m centre of excellence named after him in Sydney's Olympic Park ©Getty Images

The Australian Labor Party is committing AUD$10 million (£5.5 million/$7 million/€6 milliion) to build a high-performance athletics centre that will be named Kurt Fearnley Centre of Excellence, Athletics Australia has announced.

The Centre, to be located at Sydney Olympic Park, will be a state-of-the-art training venue for Australian athletics at community and elite level, it is promised.

On site for the announcement with Sam Crosby, Labor’s candidate for the Canberra suburb of Reid, Athletics Australia chief executive Darren Gocher said the centre would be a great step forward for athletics and a fitting honour for three-times Paralympic gold medallist Fearnley.

"Labor have committed $10 million to build the facility, which is tremendous news for athletics in Australia," Gocher said.

"We all know the amazing career that Kurt achieved, so to build the Centre in Sydney Olympic Park where Kurt commenced his decorated international career at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics is great."

Paralympic legend Kurt Fearnley, who retired after winning the Commonwealth Games wheelchair marathon at Gold Coast 2018, will have a $10 million centre of excellence named after him in the Olympic Park in Sydney ©Getty Images
Paralympic legend Kurt Fearnley, who retired after winning the Commonwealth Games wheelchair marathon at Gold Coast 2018, will have a $10 million centre of excellence named after him in the Olympic Park in Sydney ©Getty Images

Fearnley, who retired in April last year after winning the Commonwealth Games wheelchair marathon in the Gold Coast, claimed the plans were a good way of securing the future of Australian Para Athletics and the wider athletics family.

"Next year is the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Olympics and I couldn’t imagine a more appropriate time to establish this Centre," said Fearnley.

"It will give our future athletes the best possible facilities to take on the world.

"It’s an honour to have my name attached to the venue that will develop the future of my sport and it’s exciting to think that around the country, disabled athletes will see one of their peers' names attached to the centre that will assist all of the athletics community."