Seoul Gazette - As euphoria of victory fades, IOC chief Coventry faces geopolitical reality

At 41 Coventry is the youngest person to be elected to the post of the most powerful person in sports governance -- as well as the first woman and first African -- and she will need wise older heads to provide counsel when she assumes the role on June 24.

"The IOC has not faced such a troubled geopolitical outlook in many years," former IOC marketing chief Michael Payne told AFP.

Although she has political experience as Zimbabwe's sports and arts minister, it is a long way from meeting Trump and other heads of state and exchanging differing views.

With Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Olympics, Trump will loom large in her agenda.

Coventry's initial response to the prospect of dealing with Trump following her election on Thursday betrayed a certain steeliness and lack of fear of being blunt.

"I have been dealing with, let's say, difficult men in high positions since I was 20 years old," she said, adding that "communication will be key."

She also made clear there will be no wilting in the face of possible efforts from Trump to prevent athletes from certain countries entering the United States.

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

Payne remarked that the "astonishing" manner in which Coventry won the election in the first round, beating heavyweights such as World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, said a lot about her.

"She must have a strong character and solid will and focus," he said.

Trump's unpredictability and his turning on its head of US foreign policy, unafraid to hurt the feelings of allies of long standing, raises the spectre of a repeat of countries boycotting in 2028 just as the Soviet Union and the then-East Germany and Cuba did at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

"It is going to take special diplomatic and political skills and agility to ensure that all nations turn up in LA in 2028 and protect the universality of the Olympic Movement," said Payne.

- 'Scream and shout' -

Coventry has promised to be a collegiate president.

Among those she would be advised to consult regarding Trump is FIFA president and IOC member Gianni Infantino, who also enjoys good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Infantino handles Trump really well," Martin Sorrell, founder of advertising giants WPP and a former member of the IOC's Communication Commission, told AFP.

Infantino was filmed with Trump this month, showing off the trophy for this year's Club World Cup.

"Indeed Trump, who had the FIFA trophy behind him in the Oval Office on the video, said at the launch of the Club World Cup, 'as one president to another...'"

One issue Coventry is likely to face is whether to allow Russian athletes to make a full return to the Olympic fold, competing under their national flag, perhaps as early as the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.

At the Paris Olympics a small Russian team had to take part as neutrals owing to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Coventry was less forthcoming about Russia.

"I believe at the end of the day, we need to do anything and everything to protect and support athletes from all conflict areas," she said.

"We have numerous conflicts and a number of them happening on my continent."

There is also the not inconsiderable sounding board of her predecessor Thomas Bach, who is believed to have strongly supported her bid to succeed him.

Bach has been named honorary president and the 71-year-old German said his door was always open if Coventry needed advice.

Coventry is not wet behind the ears in terms of globetrotting in her role as Zimbabwe's sports minister.

She admitted in January that attending the UN General Assembly last year was "really depressing".

"It was so divisive. You can see heads of state who generally the world would turn to, to unify all of us were choosing to rather just focus on inward and not look outward... that seems to be the way in which the world is going right now."

On Thursday, Coventry defended being a minister in a Zimbabwean government whose election in 2023 was declared unfair and undemocratic.

"I don't think you can stand on the sidelines and scream and shout for change," she said.

"I believe you have to be seated at the table to try and create it."

She has at least eight years to show she can follow her words with actions.

T.Jeon--SG