COSTA NAVARINO, Greece – Following a resounding victory in the elections, Kirsty Coventry is stepping into her role as the new leader of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), marking a significant milestone as the first woman president in the organization’s 131-year history. She began her tenure with a breakfast meeting alongside outgoing president Thomas Bach to discuss their transition plans. The official passing of the torch will occur on Olympic Day, June 23. For the next three months, it has been arranged that Coventry will have priority in making major IOC decisions.
Coventry, currently serving as Zimbabwe’s sports minister, intends to step down from her governmental role and relocate with her family in April to Lausanne, Switzerland—the IOC’s home base. There are several pressing issues she will need to address moving forward.
### Promoting Gender Equality
Coventry’s election underscores Bach’s efforts to advance gender equality in Olympic sports and governance. A key question remains whether organizations beneath the IOC, such as sports governing bodies and national Olympic committees, will follow this lead. Bach remarked on Friday the need for continued progress, noting that from next month, only the table tennis governing body will have a female president—IOC member Petra Sörling. Coventry has reiterated her commitment to safeguarding women’s sports and athletes. As sports minister, she took measures against her country’s soccer federation for allowing sexual harassment toward female referees, which resulted in Zimbabwe being suspended by FIFA.
She plans to expand the IOC’s involvement in gender eligibility issues by forming a task force to investigate this area further. The new world boxing organization, which was excluded from the Paris Olympics, is independently updating its rules this year.
### India’s Olympic Ambitions
Coventry’s win seems to bode well for India’s Olympic aspirations, supported by its influential IOC member, Nita Ambani. Reportedly close, the two women could see India’s aim to host the Summer Games becoming a reality. The Ambani family, known to be the wealthiest in Asia, hosted the IOC’s annual meeting in 2023, promoting India’s potential for hosting the Games. An important decision for Coventry’s IOC will be the selection of a host city for 2036, with India and Qatar, a country with long-standing IOC ties, both in contention.
An anticipated move is the announcement of India securing its first top-tier Olympic sponsorship after staging a successful promotional event in Paris last August. The timeline for deciding the 2036 host is not set; current policy favors discrete lobbying that can expedite negotiations with a preferred bidder.
### Enhancing Athlete Benefits
Uncertainty looms over potential changes that could grant athletes a better deal under the IOC’s commercial regulations, which protect the exclusivity of official broadcasters and sponsors. One of Coventry’s competitors in the election, Sebastian Coe, who leads World Athletics, set a precedent by awarding prize money to champions of track events in Paris last year, a first for the Olympic Games. Coe’s proposals for enhancing athlete benefits included helping athletes manage their data, access sponsorships more freely, and leveraging the Olympic brand.
Another competitor, Juan Antonio Samaranch, suggested allowing athletes to use clips of their Olympic performances, tapping into their potential as social media influencers. Although Coventry didn’t advocate for such initiatives during her campaign, nor during her previous involvement with the IOC executive board, she is open to exploring policies proposed by her election rivals.
### Russia and the IOC
The pathway for lifting Russia’s suspension from the IOC remains unclear, as four sports regions in eastern Ukraine are still under Russian occupation. Despite this, Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his congratulations to Coventry, commending her high standing in the sports community. The upcoming Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, set for 2026, will continue to exclude Russian teams, although individual Russian athletes might participate as neutrals if properly vetted.
### Looking Ahead to Future Leadership
The next IOC presidential election is expected in 2033, but it could be up to 2037 before another contested race occurs. Coventry, only 53 at the end of her term, would still be eligible for another run. Former IOC member Tony Estanguet rejoined at age 46 and is viewed as a potential future leader given his success with the Paris Olympics. If a female successor is sought, Princess Reema Bandar al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S., who joined the IOC in 2020, could be a contender.
