The Australian Centre for Sports Aerodynamics (ACSA) has officially opened, positioning South Australia as a world leader in sport aerodynamics.

This world-class wind tunnel is the only sport specific centre for aerodynamics in the southern hemisphere, attracting even more state, national and international athletes to SA.

The State Government has invested $12 million in this state-of-the-art facility which is located within the Mile End sports precinct alongside the SA Athletics Stadium, the new South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) development and the soon to be redeveloped Netball SA Stadium.

To further support this initiative, SASI has partnered with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) who invested $3 million in this project to give Olympic/Paralympic hopefuls a major competitive edge.

Several Australian athletes selected to compete at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics have been undergoing testing at ACSA to finesse their final performance set ups.

Attention has now also turned to winter sports, in preparation for Milano Cortina 2026.

Coaches, athletes and aerodynamicists can analyse the wind resistance forces to make changes to athlete positions, clothing, event strategy and equipment, which will play an increasingly important role in the hunt for critical gains where winning race speeds are constantly increasing.

ACSA will provide a significant competitive advantage to Australian sport and athletes for all future summer/winter Olympic/Paralympic Games - particularly for Brisbane 2032.

The multi-sport facility can replicate speeds of up to 110km per hour and supports precision aerodynamic performance improvements in sports including cycling, snowboarding, skiing, swimming, athletics, triathlon, rowing, sailing, and kayak.

In addition to advancing high-performance sport, ACSA can also be utilised by universities and industry to support education, sports innovation and research in South Australia.

The wind tunnel was designed, fabricated and tested by AEROLAB at their headquarters in Maryland, USA, before it was shipped and installed in South Australia.

The wind tunnel component comprises of large-scale tunnel housings, a 4-metre diameter fan, a boundary layer suction system and screens that combine to direct and circulate air flow uniformly through the testing room.

At the heart of the wind tunnel is a custom designed turntable balance to measure the drag forces on athletes and equipment at a very high resolution - the balance is designed to be configurable for use in multiple sports.

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Quotes

Attributable to Katrine Hildyard

Until this groundbreaking opening, aerodynamic testing access for elite Australian athletes has been limited here in Australia with the use of overseas facilities cost prohibitive and logistically difficult to coordinate.

This new Australian Centre for Sports Aerodynamics here in South Australia is a game changer. It is world leading and will have a huge impact on the performance of current and future athletes as they strive to achieve their sporting dreams.

The facility also presents unprecedented opportunities to attract more national and international athletes and teams to SA, which brings significant economic benefits and will see more young people being inspired by those whom they seek to follow. It also has the potential to be used by industry for important research.

This wind tunnel adds to significant investment in the Mile End sports precinct, including $92 million in the Netball SA Stadium, $88 million in the South Australian Sports Institute and $10 million in the SA Athletics Stadium, further establishing our State as a world leader in high-performance sport and a place where young people will be inspired to be active and give sport a go.

Attributable to SASI Director Keren Faulkner

The podium positions at an Olympic/Paralympic Games can often by determined by milliseconds so having access to train in a sports wind tunnel could be the difference between winning or missing out on a medal.

I’m therefore incredibly excited that our SASI scholars and graduates have this facility right on their doorstep and can use it to their advantage while preparing for events on the world stage.

The versatility of the wind tunnel is also key where the use of it can be modified to benefit both para and able-bodied athletes.

Attributable to Executive General Manager, AIS Performance Matti Clements

The Australian Institute of Sport, through the Australian Sports Commission, is proud to have partnered with the South Australian Sports Institute to deliver this important facility.

We have already seen how the wind tunnel has helped with those crucial one percenters for our athletes preparing for Paris, and it will continue to be a game changing resource for Milano Cortina 2026 and on the road to Brisbane 2032.

The facility is a tangible example of how the Australian high performance sport system is united and working together to provide a world leading environment for athletes to win well and achieve their full potential.