Kirsty Coventry is the first woman and African to lead the International Olympic Committee.
New International Olympic Committee chief Kirsty Coventry fought back tears on Wednesday as she urged nations to come together in the 2026 Winter Games, as the torch relay set off from ancient Olympia in Greece.
Addressing guests during the torch ceremony at the Olympia archaeological museum, as the first woman to head the Olympic movement, a tearful Coventry stressed the power of sport to unite.
“I wasn’t supposed to get emotional, but this place is very special,” the 42-year-old Zimbabwean, who is also the first African to lead the IOC, added to applause.
“In a divided world that we live in today, the Games hold a truly symbolic place. It is our duty, our responsibility, to ensure that the athletes from around the world can come together peacefully,” she said.
‘Break down walls’
The former swimmer and Africa’s most successful Olympic athlete with seven medals from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, Coventry repeatedly veered from her prepared speech to stress her emotional connection to the Games.
“The Olympic Games will always continue to exist, to break down walls that are put in our way,” Coventry said.
“The flame we light today, carries not just the hopes of the athletes, but the dreams of all of those who believe in the power of sport,” she added.
The torch was carried initially by Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis, a bronze medallist in Paris 2024, and then jointly with Italian cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo, a two-time Olympic champion, as the relay began the countdown to the Milan-Cortina Winter Games, which will open on February 6.
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