Online Reporter
A SMALL step for a woman, a giant step for womankind?
The first female and African International Olympic Committee president arrived at the upcoming Winter Games’ host city on Tuesday, with nine days to go until the opening ceremony.
Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry said a week ago that “I have itchy feet” during an online media round table where that she foreshadowed an “incredible” Milano Cortina Olympics come February yet said she had “no comment” regarding nations’ sovereignty as calls persist to ban the United States from the upcoming Winter Games after its controversial military action in Venezuela earlier this month.
On Tuesday, she was able to address those and other matters, on site from Milan, as she set foot for the first time in the Lombardy capital, ready to kick off the Winter Games festivities as the inauguration nears, with the much-publicised gala scheduled for February 6. “We’re very excited to finally be here.
We are feeling very happy about that and can’t wait to get started with everybody. So looking forward to it and looking forward to seeing you over the next couple of days,” Coventry told the press corps shortly after landing.
That was about it as far as institutional messages go.
More of a photo-op than anything else, as the IOC leader saves her breath in the final lead-up to the Games, where she will, no doubt, need to field plenty of tough questions in her first Olympics appearance after taking over in June last year from German Thomas Bach, who held the sports world’s top chair for a 12-year run.
The Zimbabwean is now still in the process of prepping up and getting a feel of the land, as well as the local temperature on hot-button topics like the recent pushback by Italian authorities against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Olympic detail within the United States’ delegation.
Political debate intensified in the host country this week after news broke that ICE officers will be involved with Milano Cortina’s security, raising concerns over sovereignty and prompting calls for clarification.
The discussion escalated in recent days after Italian media reported on Saturday that the controversial US federal agency responsible for migration operations and domestic enforcement of immigration laws, and currently under heavy scrutiny over the recent deaths of two American citizens, could be present in Italy during the organisation of the upcoming Winter Games.
As in her previous round table, however, Coventry did not publicly comment on such issues upon her arrival, although she did meet with Italy Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malago during her first day on the host country’s soil.
Her most expected high-profile sit-down, with Donald Trump, has yet to be confirmed, however, and the US Pres-ident has already announced he will not attend Milano Cortina’s opening ceremony, instead delegating on Vice-President JD Vance, who Coventry said she was “looking forward to meeting with, and his team.” — insidethegames.biz
