Kirsty Coventry intends to begin talks regarding the possible reinstatement of Russia to the Games
Incoming International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry has expressed her opposition to barring athletes from Olympic competition based solely on their nation’s involvement in armed conflicts. In a Sky News interview on Friday, she also revealed her intentions to open discussions concerning the return of Russian athletes to competition.
Following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from participating in the Games. The IOC also urged international sports federations to follow suit, resulting in the exclusion of both countries from major international sporting events. Subsequently, the committee permitted some athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as individual neutral athletes under neutral flags, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics, while national teams remained banned.
When questioned by Sky News, the day after her election, about her stance on banning nations from the Olympics due to military conflicts, Coventry stated: “I am, but I believe each situation must be considered individually.”
Coventry, poised to become the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC, also committed to forming a task force to create “some policies and some guiding frameworks that we as the movement can use to make decisions when we are brought into conflicts.”
The former Olympic swimmer, a two-time gold medalist for Zimbabwe, acknowledged the existence of “horrific conflicts in Africa at the moment,” emphasizing the need to protect and support athletes, ensuring their opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games.
Regarding the potential return of the Russian national team to the 2026 Olympics, Coventry stated: “We’re going to have that discussion with a collective group, as I’d said, with the task force.”
Coventry was elected as the 10th president of the IOC on Thursday, securing a majority of the vote. The 41-year-old outpaced Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. and Britain’s Sebastian Coe, who finished second and third respectively.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Coventry on her IOC election, expressing his belief that her “experience and dedication to the true advancement of the noble Olympic ideals will ensure your success in such a responsible position.”
Russian officials have consistently criticized Western nations for allegedly politicizing international sports and pressuring sports federations to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes for political reasons.