IOC Prez Coventry: International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry has underlined the unifying potential of sport amid rising global tensions, urging policymakers to safeguard its neutrality and independence. Speaking at the EU Sport Forum in Cyprus, Coventry said sport continues to serve as a rare platform that brings people together beyond political and cultural divides.
Drawing on the example of the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Coventry said international sporting events offer a contrast to the divisions seen worldwide. “Sport – and the Olympic Games in particular – offer the opposite of the division we see in this world. They offer a rare space where people meet not as adversaries, but as fellow human beings. A much-needed space of peaceful competition,” she said.
She, however, cautioned that this role can only be preserved if sport remains free from political interference. Emphasising the importance of autonomy, Coventry noted that athletes can only perform and inspire under conditions of neutrality. “Athletes can only inspire us if they are able to compete. They can only do so if we keep sport strictly neutral ground. If politics does not take over on the field of play. For all of us, this means that we must protect the autonomy of sport. So that we can tell all the athletes, no matter where they come from: yes, you can compete freely, without political interference beyond your control,” she stated.
