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RNZ News
14 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
New IOC president Kirsty Coventry promises collaboration ahead of assuming role
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President elect Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe poses during the 3rd IOC Brisbane 2032 Coordination Commission final press conference at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on May 22, 2025. Photo: PATRICK HAMILTON Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), emphasised collaboration with stakeholders as a key priority for her tenure, in remarks made ahead of her official takeover next week. Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe and Africa's most decorated Olympian, was elected to the post in March , succeeding Thomas Bach. She will formally assume the role following Monday's handover ceremony in Lausanne. "I like to collaborate, to be able to listen, hear everyone's opinions. I think it is very important," Coventry said during an online media roundtable. "I also know I am the president and need to take decisions and that we need to move." Coventry, 41, is the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC. Her approach is expected to differ from her predecessor's, as Bach was known for the rapid speed and volume of his decision-making and concentration of power. Bach's presidency was marked by wide-ranging reforms, including overhauling the Olympic bidding process, introducing new sports and reducing costs for host cities. He also navigated challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which delayed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and led to a spectator-free Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Coventry said the IOC would hold a two-day workshop for its members, starting on 24 June, the day after the handover ceremony, as part of ongoing discussions with stakeholders on key issues. "It was not about title or power," she said when asked about her decision to run for president. "Sometimes those things get in the way and make you focus on the wrong things." Reflecting on her appointment, Coventry acknowledged the significance of her role as the first woman to lead the IOC. "It is not something I have thought about a lot in terms of impact it can have," she said. "In the past days now, I have a much greater understanding of that importance." The IOC generates annual revenues of several billion dollars and Coventry noted the "responsibility" that comes with leading the organisation. "As we get closer to the 23rd, yes, it is an exciting day but a day with a lot of responsibility. I am very proud of the fact that we as members chose at this moment in time to elect the first female president," she added. - Reuters
South China Morning Post
19 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
New IOC president Kirsty Coventry vows to lead through collaboration
Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee, emphasised collaboration with stakeholders as a key priority for her tenure, in remarks made on Thursday ahead of her official takeover next week. Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe and Africa's most decorated Olympian, was elected to the post in March, succeeding Thomas Bach. She will formally assume the role following Monday's handover ceremony in Lausanne. 'I like to collaborate, to be able to listen, hear everyone's opinions. I think it is very important,' Coventry said during an online media round table. 'I also know I am the president and need to take decisions and that we need to move.' The 41-year-old is the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC. Her approach is expected to differ from her predecessor's, as Bach was known for the rapid speed and volume of his decision-making and concentration of power. Bach's presidency was marked by wide-ranging reforms, including overhauling the Olympic bidding process, introducing new sports and reducing costs for host cities. He also navigated challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic, which delayed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and led to a spectator-free Beijing 2022 Winter Games.
Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
I will lead through collaboration, says new IOC President Coventry
BERLIN, June 19 (Reuters) - Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee, emphasised collaboration with stakeholders as a key priority for her tenure, in remarks made on Thursday ahead of her official takeover next week. Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe and Africa's most decorated Olympian, was elected to the post in March, succeeding Thomas Bach. She will formally assume the role following Monday's handover ceremony in Lausanne. "I like to collaborate, to be able to listen, hear everyone's opinions. I think it is very important," Coventry said during an online media roundtable. "I also know I am the president and need to take decisions and that we need to move." Coventry, 41, is the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC. Her approach is expected to differ from her predecessor's, as Bach was known for the rapid speed and volume of his decision-making and concentration of power. Bach's presidency was marked by wide-ranging reforms, including overhauling the Olympic bidding process, introducing new sports and reducing costs for host cities. He also navigated challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and led to a spectator-free Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Coventry said the IOC would hold a two-day workshop for its members, starting on June 24, the day after the handover ceremony, as part of ongoing discussions with stakeholders on key issues. "It was not about title or power," she said when asked about her decision to run for president. "Sometimes those things get in the way and make you focus on the wrong things." Reflecting on her appointment, Coventry acknowledged the significance of her role as the first woman to lead the IOC. "It is not something I have thought about a lot in terms of impact it can have," she said. "In the past days now, I have a much greater understanding of that importance." The IOC generates annual revenues of several billion dollars and Coventry noted the "responsibility" that comes with leading the organisation. "As we get closer to the 23rd, yes, it is an exciting day but a day with a lot of responsibility. I am very proud of the fact that we as members chose at this moment in time to elect the first female president," she added.
CNA
a day ago
- Politics
- CNA
I will lead through collaboration, says new IOC President Coventry
BERLIN :Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected president of the International Olympic Committee, emphasised collaboration with stakeholders as a key priority for her tenure, in remarks made on Thursday ahead of her official takeover next week. Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe and Africa's most decorated Olympian, was elected to the post in March, succeeding Thomas Bach. She will formally assume the role following Monday's handover ceremony in Lausanne. "I like to collaborate, to be able to listen, hear everyone's opinions. I think it is very important," Coventry said during an online media roundtable. "I also know I am the president and need to take decisions and that we need to move." Coventry, 41, is the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC. Her approach is expected to differ from her predecessor's, as Bach was known for the rapid speed and volume of his decision-making and concentration of power. Bach's presidency was marked by wide-ranging reforms, including overhauling the Olympic bidding process, introducing new sports and reducing costs for host cities. He also navigated challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and led to a spectator-free Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Coventry said the IOC would hold a two-day workshop for its members, starting on June 24, the day after the handover ceremony, as part of ongoing discussions with stakeholders on key issues. "It was not about title or power," she said when asked about her decision to run for president. "Sometimes those things get in the way and make you focus on the wrong things." Reflecting on her appointment, Coventry acknowledged the significance of her role as the first woman to lead the IOC. "It is not something I have thought about a lot in terms of impact it can have," she said. "In the past days now, I have a much greater understanding of that importance." The IOC generates annual revenues of several billion dollars and Coventry noted the "responsibility" that comes with leading the organisation. "As we get closer to the 23rd, yes, it is an exciting day but a day with a lot of responsibility. I am very proud of the fact that we as members chose at this moment in time to elect the first female president," she added.
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
'We need an actual season' — Redditor shares track and field reform ideas ahead of LA28
The final Grand Slam track that was supposed to happen in Los Angeles was cancelled due to financial issues. The organisers of the athletic event, which was backed by Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, admitted that they would now wish to focus on improving the series for next year's run. With this announcement, a Redditor expressed his thoughts regarding the future of track and field in the United States. He said in his post, ' The LA Olympics in 2028 are coming up soon, so the time is now for US track & field to make some big changes to the sport to make it more popular. ' The posts include three main points on how he thinks the sport can reach a broader audience of sports fans. Firstly, he stated that it would be nice to have an 'actual season of track.' The Redditor explaine d, 'Right now, there's not really a track season, as you just need to qualify by time for US Champs. If we created a centralised professional league that combines Diamond League/Grand Slam Track/USATF events all into one points system league, this could make events have more meaning and get casual fans to tune in.' He also admitted that 'extending the post-season' would also be a solution. He added, ' US Champs is selling itself short by having 10 straight days of action. Instead, we should look to extend the US Champs period to three straight weekends with prelims, semis, and finals happening in separate weekends. All other major sports leagues have lengthy playoff periods, and championship racing should be extended too to allow for more peak viewing time.' Lastly, he suggested that having 'new event formats' can help as well. He further discussed, 'If you think about it, most professional sports leagues have All-Star games, or fun, exciting formats such as dunk contests or home run derbies that showcase their sport in a fun new setting. Track should do the same to allow celebrities to participate in the sport, and create new fun formats such as elimination-style internal races, which can get more casual fans to tune in.' See also Pope Leo spills his tennis secret to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner Other Redditors expressed their opinions on these suggestions. One user commented, 'Extending US champs is a no-go. The reason you have everything compact and within a three-day span is that it weeds out the one-off racers who can't make it through the rounds. If you use the format you propose, then we could potentially have one hit wonders make the team, and when the Olympics or world champs come, they won't survive the rounds.' Another Redditor said, ' Making the meet three weekends long is just in no way realistic.' One more commenter said, 'Track is what it is… a hugely popular participation sport but a niche sport at the national and professional level. I'd love for it to be more popular, but I don't think we should realistically ever hope that it's going to be a major sport, and that's okay.'
