Online Reporter
WEARING a Dakar Youth Olympic Games 2026 sports jacket and looking calm and collected, the International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry fielded reporters’ questions with relative ease at her first executive board meeting online press conference on Wednesday in Lausanne.
Acting as if she’d been there before, Coventry passed the media test six months after taking office and with just under 58 days to go until the first Olympics of her mandate kick off in Milano Cortina, where the opening ceremony is scheduled to take place on February 6.
With the public relations honeymoon period theoretically over, it’s now time for Thomas Bach’s successor to address tougher questions than in her presser debut; specifically those related to the 2026 Winter Games preparations in Italy with organisers facing increased scrutiny of late, the geopolitical quagmire involving IOC sanctions to countries involved in conflict or human rights violations and the always thorny subject of gender eligibility in sports or “the defence of the female category” as some prefer to call it.
Flanked by veteran director of communications Mark Adams and IOC Sports director Pierre Ducrey, and assisted via videocall by Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi, Coventry did not shy away from such terms or other pressing queries from the international press, 12 in total, ranging from her emotional reaction to the Flame Lighting Ceremony in Athens two weeks ago, to the future of esports, upcoming competition programmes or the choice of “Utah 2034” as Olympics slogan and logo.
“I’m very impressed and happy with what we are seeing. As we get close, we need to keep our finger on the pulse,” the Zimbabwean official said referring to Milano Cortina’s final countdown to kick off. “We know that the new model of these Games will help athletes compete in their favourite venues and showcase some of the best and most beautiful iconic areas in Italy, and we can’t wait to be there in just a few weeks.”
In over two years, the Summer Games will proceed in Los Angeles, where United States President Donald Trump is pushing hard on his anti-transgender athletes agenda, even denying entry visas to certain participants.
With gender eligibility in sports as hot-button a topic as ever and Coventry still pending a sit-down with the Conservative leader in the near future to address the controversial issue, among others, she expressed desire to reach a satisfying solution to all involved parties, though conceding it will be tough sledding ahead.
“The Working group is working very well with all stakeholders. This is a question that they are asking themselves we are asking ourselves and we will find ways to find a consensus that has all aspects covered. Maybe it’s not going to be the easiest thing to do, but we will try our best to protect the female category in the most fair way for everybody to at least believe and get behind in”, the former Olympic swimmer explained.
“We want to make sure that we take the adequate time to cross the t’s and dot the i’s. I don’t want to constrain the working group, but I’m confident that in the first quarter of 2026 we will have a decision”.
Such matters will most probably have to be negotiated with Trump and other political leaders at a time when sport struggles to find a unifying path amid the world’s increased tendency to promote conflict over diplomacy, resulting in the IOC’s most recent bans on Russia and Belarus for the former’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, where war is ongoing, with the latter’s backing.
As both nations hope for reinstatement in 2026 even as Israel has kept competing internationally while inflicting a genocide on the Palestinian people in Gaza, Coventry maintains the issue of sanctions to specific countries, like Indonesia for denying Israeli athletes free entry to compete within its borders, is currently being re-evaluated.
“We have a working group focusing on the defence of Olympism and political neutrality that recently got set up. They will start by reviewing our Olympic Charter.
“I’m sure we can get back to you sometime around the new year with more concrete answers. It’s a huge focus for them. Sport is for everybody and you should have access for everybody to partake,” she pinpointed.
It has been a busy couple of weeks for the IOC president, as she attended the Lighting Ceremony in Ancient Olimpia before heading to Rome last week to witness the flame’s arrival with local authorities. As the year ends, Italy is buzzing with pre-Olympics excitement bordering on anxiety as reports fly regarding close to last-minute rushes to finalise and optimise venues, most notably the ice hockey rink at Santa Gulia’s Milano arena. — insidethegames.com.
