Two weeks after her historic election as President-elect of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry was warmly welcomed by IOC President Thomas Bach, Director General Christophe De Kepper and IOC staff at the Olympic House in Lausanne. This meeting marks the beginning of her transition to IOC leadership.
The visit by Coventry, a double Olympic swimming champion and the first woman to hold the IOC presidency, comes as she prepares to officially take office on June 23, during the handover ceremony on Olympic Day.
Excitement
Upon entering the building, IOC staff greeted Coventry with a prolonged and warm ovation. President Thomas Bach presented him with a bouquet of flowers as a welcoming gesture, and the entire team joined for a group photo on the iconic Olympic House staircase.
In her address to the staff, Coventry said, “This will be etched in my memory for a long time. I am incredibly honored to be here. As a nine-year-old, I never thought I would be in this position, with the opportunity to give back to this Movement and work with all of you so that other nine-year-olds can fulfill their dreams.”
Ubuntu philosophy as the basis of her mandate
Coventry stressed that her mandate will be based on the Ubuntu philosophy, which means “I am because we are.” “This will be the basis of everything we do. I am very excited about the next eight years and what they will mean for all of us. I am grateful and honored to be here, and I look forward to helping other children’s dreams around the world come true,” she added.
Coventry’s visit to Olympic House precedes the IOC Executive Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, as part of the three-month transition between Thomas Bach and Kirsty Coventry.
An African and female leader at the IOC
Prior to her visit to Lausanne, Coventry attended the African Continental Athletes’ Forum in Windhoek, Namibia, where she was warmly welcomed by representatives of Athletes’ Commissions from across Africa.
In her address to the athletes in Windhoek, Coventry stressed the importance of teamwork: “Everything I have achieved, whether in my sporting career, as an athlete representative in Africa and at the IOC, or in my various responsibilities in my country and in the Olympic Movement, I have achieved through teamwork. I hope to continue this approach of unity and collaboration in my new role.”
Meeting with Namibia’s president
During her visit to Namibia, Coventry met with the President of the Republic of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. At this meeting, Coventry said, “I am very happy that you are the first head of state to officially receive me in my role as IOC president-elect. This sends an incredibly strong message to the world: as women, we are here and ready to lead, and as Africa, we are also here and ready to lead.”
President Nandi-Ndaitwah congratulated Coventry on her election and noted: “Sport is not just an activity for us, it is an important industry that contributes to national mental health, youth empowerment and economic development.
