Before the reorganization of the Olympic World, Kirsty Coventry has to organize a family parade. Thomas Bach’s IOC throne heir is moving Zimbabwe with her husband and the two little daughters to the seat of the International Olympic Committee to Lausanne. The future IOC President remains a three-month crash course at Bach until she takes over the official business from her German predecessor on June 24th.
“I hope that this choice will be an inspiration for many people. I am fully aware of my responsibility as a role model,” said Coventry, after being promoted to the top of the umbrella organization by the IOC general assembly.
For the first time in the history of the IOC, there will also be a longer transition period in which Bach continues to run day -to -day business and learn its 41 -year -old successor. “We have already agreed a timetable how we want to make procedures and make decisions,” said Bach after a breakfast together in the morning after the election.
“There will be many conversations. He has overcome many difficulties. I will talk to him about how he managed it,” announced Coventry. The former top swimmer, who is now giving up her job as Minister of Sports in Zimbabwe, will quickly have to face a number of big challenges.
Olympics with Donald Trump
How will the comparatively young and inexperienced Coventry assert itself against alpha men like US President Trump on the politically highly tense world stage? The 78-year-old is an unpredictable host of the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles for the IOC. “I had to deal with, let’s say difficult men since I was 20,” said Coventry. Communication is the key to dealing with Trump.
As before, the new President claimed that Trump was a big sports fan. Coventry does not want to accept possible entry bans for athletes from countries who displeasure Trump. “We will not deviate from our values that all athletes who have qualified for the Olympics can also participate and feel safe,” she said.
Dispute of transgender athletes
The conversations with Trump could be delicate, especially when it comes to admission of transgender athletes. At the latest since the gender debate around the boxers IMANE KHELIF and LIN YU-TING at the games in Paris, the topic has split the Olympic world. Trump wants to exclude Transmens by decree from participating in women’s sports.
Coventry announced the establishment of a task force that is supposed to prevent another IOC debacle as in Paris. “We will make a clear decision and will not deviate from it,” she said.
Permanent problem zone Russia
The new IOC boss also has to offer the new IOC boss Vladimir Putin, who hopes for the new leadership to return to the large sports stage. Because of the scandal for state -organized doping at the winter games 2014 in Sochi and later the war of aggression against Ukraine, Russian athletes have not been allowed to start under their own flag at the Olympics since 2016.
He was looking forward to the return of Russia on the Olympic podiums under the new IOC leadership, Sportminister Michail Degtjarjow wrote after Coventry’s election at Telegram. For the time being, Coventry adheres to the line of Bach, whose desired candidate she was.
There are many conflicts in the world, especially on her home continent Africa, she said. Athletes should not be punished for their countries’ politics. Before a final decision on Russia’s participation in the winter games 2026 in Italy, the IOC should wait for the outcome of the negotiations for a possible end of the Ukraine War.
Future of the Olympia money machine
In the middle of the tricky sports policy, the near future of the IOC is at least economically secured. Bach let him know by 60 percent. Coventry’s task is now to achieve new, young target groups in a digitized world and to keep the rings spectacle relevant.
All Olympic Games have been awarded by 2034, for the summer games 2036 and after that, according to Bach there is a double -digit number of interested parties. Germany finally wants to be an Olympic host again. “We are a strong sports nation that will submit a convincing application,” said Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) in her greeting to Coventry.
But in the face of strong competition, the chances for a German attempt seem rather low. In addition, the new award procedure is more opaque. Some of Coventry’s opponents had promised to ensure more transparency again. Whether this is also on the Bach’s heir agenda remained rather open in her election program, like so much.
