(AFP) – New IOC chief Kirsty Coventry said on Thursday that “communication will be key” with US President Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Coventry, the first woman and African to be elected to the most powerful role in sports governance, added: “I have been dealing with, let’s say, difficult men in high positions since I was 20 years old.” The Zimbabwean, who at 41 is also the youngest person to be elected to the position, expressed confidence that Trump would support the staging of the 2028 Games.
The 1984 Los Angeles Games were boycotted by the Soviet Union, then-East Germany, and Cuba, and some observers have speculated that the 2028 Olympics could face boycotts due to Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy. Coventry does have political experience as Zimbabwe’s sports minister, a role criticized during her campaign for the highly controversial and undemocratic 2023 election of the government. She stated her intention to step down from her ministerial role.
“My firm belief is that President Trump is a huge lover of sports; he will want these games to be significant, he will want them to be a success,” Coventry said. “We will not waver from our values of solidarity and ensuring every athlete that qualifies for the Olympic Games has the possibility to attend and be safe.” She also addressed the contentious topic of transgender athletes, noting that the IOC would maintain its stance. “In terms of Donald Trump, again, it’s going to take communication. We’re going to create a task force to look at the transgender issue and the protection of the female category,” she explained. A collective decision would be made with the international federations, ensuring clarity and adherence to that decision.
Coventry described her election as “significant” for women and paid a heartfelt tribute to veteran American IOC member Anita DeFrantz, the first woman to run for the presidential post in a previous election. Despite her frail condition, DeFrantz had traveled from the United States to Greece to vote for Coventry. “There have been incredible women that have come before me, one of them sitting in the room today which I might get a little emotional about,” she remarked. “Anita DeFrantz was a huge inspiration to me, and I was really proud to make her proud.”
She emphasized that women like DeFrantz paved the way for others and expressed her desire to pave the way for younger generations, especially since she has two young daughters. Furthermore, Coventry highlighted that her victory, alongside the upcoming Youth Summer Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, would showcase African identity. “I’m excited for the world to see who we are as Africans, what we mean, and how we embrace everyone,” she said.
Coventry, who has won seven of Zimbabwe’s eight Olympic medals, including two golds, defended her involvement in the Zimbabwean administration. “In terms of my country, I chose to try and create change from the inside,” she explained. “It gets criticized, and that’s okay because, at the end of the day, I don’t believe you can stand on the sidelines and scream for change. You have to be seated at the table to create it.”
Unlike some of her rivals, Coventry ran a low-key campaign, relying on her husband Tyrone Seward for support. “I will ring my parents first. My eldest daughter came up and said, ‘you won!’ but I do not think she realizes that life is going to change,” Coventry concluded.
© 2024 AFP
