New IOC president Kirsty Coventry wants sit-down with US President Donald Trump on LA 2028 Games

COSTA NAVARINO, Greece – The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) new chief Kirsty Coventry said on March 20 that “communication will be key” with US President Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2028 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, said she was confident Mr Trump would put all his weight behind the staging of the 2028 Olympics.

The 1984 Los Angeles Games were snubbed by countries including the Soviet Union and East Germany. Some observers have speculated that the 2028 edition could be susceptible to boycotts owing to Mr Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy.

Coventry, who will take over from Thomas Bach on June 23, has political experience as she is Zimbabwe’s sports minister – a role that she will be stepping down from.

“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,” she said.

“We will not waver from our values and our values of solidarity... ensuring every athlete that qualifies for the Olympic Games has the possibility to attend the Olympic Games and be safe.”

On the thorny issue of transgender athletes – Mr Trump has said there are only two genders, male and female – she added that the IOC would stand its ground.

“So in terms of Donald Trump, again, it’s going to take communication. As I just said, we’re going to create a task force that’s going to look at the transgender issue and the protection of the female category,” she added.

Coventry assured that a decision would be made “collectively” with the international federations.

Meanwhile, she also said her election was “significant” for women and paid a heartfelt tribute to veteran American IOC member Anita DeFrantz, who was the first woman to run for the presidential post in 2001.

Despite being frail, DeFrantz had flown from the United States 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 said.

“Anita DeFrantz was a huge inspiration to me and to many women and I was just really proud that I could make her proud. She was the first woman to run for this position and like I said she inspired me.

“She’s been a huge mentor of mine since I came into the movement in 2013. Women like her paved the way for more women like me and I want to pave the way for younger generations.”

Coventry said that in addition to her victory, the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in 2026 would shine a light on what it meant to be African.

“I know it’s going to be an incredible time for the world to see who we are as Africans and what we stand for and how we are willing to embrace everyone,” she added.

Following the election, Sebastian Coe said Coventry’s clear victory – she won 49 of the 97 votes – was a “historic moment”, as the Briton digested his disappointing third-placed finish.

“She’s the first woman, it’s a very historic moment,” said the World Athletics president, who had just eight votes.

Coe, a double 1,500m Olympic champion on the track, added he was pleased that Coventry, who won two Olympic swimming golds, would lead the body.

“I’m absolutely delighted for Kirsty. We’ve got an athlete at the head of the organisation, that’s a good thing,” he said. “We chatted about that and agreed that that would be the preferred outcome, and that’s what’s happened.

“So I’ve congratulated her and she’s got a huge job but she will have the confidence of the athletes and that’s very important.” REUTERS, AFP