Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture Minister Kirsty Coventry once again faced the media in the build-up to the International Olympic Committee's presidential election, with the legendary former swimmer giving a hint of how she would approach her governance of the global sporting body if elected next month.
"I think we're two very different people.
"First and foremost, for me, I think the way in which the IOC communicates would need to change.
"We have a completely different leadership style. My manifesto, as most of you have seen, is all based off of the Ubuntu philosophy, which is "I am because we are," and I know that I have only ever been successful because of the people and the team around me, and that would be how I want to lead," Coventry said.
She was responding to questions about what she sees as the differences between her as a candidate to be the IOC president and current leader Thomas Bach of Germany.
"I would want to ensure that the members are not just being heard but are actually being quite active and sharing their experience and their knowledge."
Coventry noted that Bach and she both share deep feelings for the Games and the Olympic Movement, but also "just how strong the power of sport is and what it can do in communities around the world."
She is one of seven candidates for the IOC Presidency, and spoke for more than an hour during an online forum with 98 media from around the world on Monday in a meet-up arranged by the International Sports Journalists Association (AIPS).
At 41, she is the youngest of the candidates and the only woman in the field, but with a long history within the IOC, especially as the head of the IOC Athletes' Commission. Asked about how she will approach the presidency if elected, she noted the diverse interests of the main stakeholders of the Olympic Movement, then explained:
"What I feel right now, whenever there's a new shift, there's a change in the organisation, it's time for us to have a little bit of a pause, and I want to just take a pause, evaluate where we are, and see what it is that we -- as an organisation -- want to continue doing.
"We know that the Olympic Games are our heartbeat, right, and then you have all of our incredible stakeholders, our athletes, and the next layer, of our (National Olympic Committees) and (International Federations).
"How and what are we going to continue to fight for? What is it that we get rid of, and we need to shed? And what is it that we need to change and adapt to be relevant in today's world? "So that will be a big piece of work, and I would like to start very early on."
She noted that there is pressure on the IOC now relating to athlete funding, more support for the International Federations (IFs), and a desire for IFs to be more deeply involved in the development of Olympic organising committees, and a need to bridge gaps in capabilities and professionalism between larger and smaller National Olympic Committees. Coventry noted that these types of challenges are not new for her, as she has faced similar issues as a Cabinet minister since 2018.
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"I've been able to navigate these last seven years, I believe, really well . . . I've been able to do that because I've had a solid and strong team who have been willing to take tough decisions because it's been the right thing to do. "So, we've been led by our values, and that's really what we've been trying to change.
"I firmly believe, with the strength of the membership within the IOC, with the strength of the ecosystems from the International Federations, the National Olympic Committees, and hearing directly from the athletes.
"Leaning on all these stakeholders, taking them into account, and giving them the opportunity to be part of the decisions is what is going to strengthen our Movement. -- Agencies/Sports Reporter.
