IOC president sets focus: more sport, less politics | OneFootball

The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, urged the institution's members to focus on sports to preserve the political neutrality of the Olympic Games, three days before the opening of the winter edition in Milan-Cortina.

“The Olympic Games and the values they represent are our most valuable asset,” declared Coventry during the opening of the 145th IOC session.

There was great anticipation for her speech, as upon taking office in June last year, the former Zimbabwean swimmer launched a broad consultation process at all levels to define the direction of the Olympic movement, without revealing her own proposals for now.

Under the mandate of her predecessor, the German Thomas Bach, the IOC expanded its scope of action, establishing itself as a leader of the entire sports movement, addressing issues such as environmental impact, human rights, competition integrity, and combating violence in sports.

“Throughout the campaign and in many of our conversations since then, I have heard the same message from many of you: let's focus on our main mission. We are a sports organization,” Coventry declared to the approximately one hundred members of the organization.

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The Return of Russia

“We understand politics and know that we do not operate in isolation. But our field of action is sports. This means preserving the neutrality of sports, a space where every athlete can compete without being harmed by politics,” she added.

Coventry has not yet put these ideas into practice, as she has so far maintained Thomas Bach's policy regarding, for example, Russian athletes: due to the conflict in Ukraine, only 13 will be able to compete in the Milan-Cortina Games, which start next Friday (6), under a neutral flag and in individual events.

But the IOC, like FIFA and UEFA in football, has also stayed out of other conflicts, refusing, for example, to discuss the situation of Israeli athletes during the offensive in Gaza.

This stance has generated criticism and accusations of double standards in the IOC's handling of political issues.

Another issue on which Coventry is expected to take a position is the participation of transgender and intersex athletes in women's competitions.

End of the Summer-Winter Duality

On Tuesday, Coventry limited herself to delivering generic messages, without addressing these issues: “We must ensure that the Games continue to inspire young people around the world, reflecting their values. This means finding the right balance between tradition and innovation.”

The first conclusions of the working groups are expected to be presented on Wednesday, the second day of the IOC session.

One of the measures planned is the elimination of the boundary between winter and summer sports, with the incorporation, for example, of modalities such as cyclocross, gravel, and trail running in the program of the 2030 Games in the French Alps.

“We will have to make decisions and have difficult conversations, it's part of change. Not everyone will agree on all issues, and that's normal,” warned Coventry.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.