Coventry outlines Olympic vision ahead of historic IOC presidency

Kirsty Coventry, a swimming Olympian from Zimbabwe, is set to become the first woman and first African to lead the International Olympic Committee, pledging to expand the Olympic Movement's global reach while upholding its core values.

LAUSANNE, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Kirsty Coventry, poised to become the first woman and the first African to lead the International Olympic Committee, has laid out her vision for the future of the Olympic Movement, grounded in its core values and potential for global unity.

Coventry, elected in March during the 144th IOC Session in Greece, will assume the presidency on June 23, succeeding Thomas Bach, who has led the organization since 2013. She received 49 of 97 votes in the first round, prevailing over six other candidates.

"Values are what have led this movement for over a hundred years. It's what's kept this movement intertwined together. And that is something that we can never compromise," the 41-year-old Zimbabwean told the Olympic Channel at the Olympic House in Lausanne on Thursday.

"We have to be proud that we're a movement that not just lives by its values, but shares its values, and promotes its values," Coventry said.

"And if we can find more ways to do that in the future, and can reach all households around the world, that's part of my goal. How do we have more reach to communities across our massive globe? How do we reach those children to share our values with them? How do we reach them to inspire them?"

Despite the weight of expectations that accompany the role, Coventry expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to lead.

"I don't really look at the presidency as a weight," she said. "Are there a lot of expectations? Yes. Does that come with a lot of responsibility? Yes. But I'm really so honored to have been given this opportunity, and I'm so excited for what the future holds. It's a movement that has been a part of my life for so long, so it almost feels like a very natural progression."

Coventry's deep ties to the Olympics began with her storied swimming career. She competed in five consecutive Games beginning in Sydney 2000, winning seven medals - including two golds - and becoming Africa's most decorated Olympian. Her return to Zimbabwe after her Olympic success, during a time of national difficulty, further cemented her belief in sport's transformative power.

In addition to her achievements in the pool, Coventry has played a key role in sports governance. She joined the IOC as an athlete member in 2013, chaired the Athletes' Commission, served on the Executive Board, and led initiatives promoting safe sports environments for children through the Kirsty Coventry Academy and the HEROES programme in Zimbabwe.

She also served as Zimbabwe's Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation from 2018, during which she pushed legislation aimed at curbing match-fixing, abuse, and sexual harassment in sport.

Balancing her new role with her home life as the mother of two young daughters has been a challenge, she admitted.

"It has been crazy. And it's been hard, but it's also been wonderful," Coventry said.

"I have a lot more patience," she added. "I now realize I can do a lot more with a lot less sleep. [The children] humble you. And when you get home after a rough day, you can look at them and you can realize, 'Okay, this is why we're doing this.' But we're also doing this so that the Olympic Games and our values remain relevant in this crazy world of ours. They're the meaning." ■