The emblems for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been revealed ahead of schedule by the Games' own YouTube channel.
Pieces of the emblem had been released over the past week during a tour of Queensland, with the full design due to come together at an official unveiling in Brisbane on Monday.
Instead the whole emblem appeared the previous evening in the preview image for an "Emblem Explainer" video set to go live on Monday morning. The image was reportedly online only until 7:12pm, and has since been removed from YouTube.
The video's description was visible too. "The Brisbane 2032 emblems are inspired by the spirited cockatoo — a symbol of Australia's unique wildlife and playful heart! The cockatoo's crest is a living torch, reminiscent of the iconic Olympic and Paralympic flame," the description reportedly read.
"Shaped like Queensland, with its eye on Brisbane, the emblem is a universal symbol to unite Brisbane, Australia and the world in 2032," the description continued.
The Olympics minister, Tim Mander, told the Today show he was "excited" that the emblem was "finally out".
"The emblem is something that will make us known around the world with regard to the Games in 2032," he said.
Asked whether the leak had been planned, Mr Mander would not comment. "Obviously there were people so enthusiastic about looking for the emblem that they'd been scanning the internet," he said. "It's appeared for a short time, and it's out there."
Brisbane 2032's chief marketing officer, Brent Hill, said the reaction to the emblem had been positive.
The word in general use for this event is "leak", and this newspaper would like to query it on the facts.
A leak is the release of information by somebody who was not authorised to release it. This emblem was published by the official channel of the body that owns the emblem, in a file prepared by that body, accompanied by that body's own explanation of what the emblem means.
Every element of an unveiling was therefore present: the right design, the right publisher, the right description, in public, until 7:12pm. The only element missing was Monday.
The Department of Unnecessary Research accordingly records the emblem as unveiled, and Monday's ceremony as a second unveiling of a design already launched, explained, and positively received by the market.
Mr Mander's assessment that the emblem is "finally out" is the correct one, and he made it before the ceremony intended to put it out. The organising committee has been scooped. The party that scooped it is the organising committee.