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≡ COVENTRY IN ACTION ≡
One of the signatures of the Thomas Bach Era at the International Olympic Committee was action.
He followed his own “change or be changed” mantra with near-fanatical devotion, trying to push the IOC into new areas where it could make a difference, or start on offense now instead if playing on defense later, for example, in his approach to e-sports, with an “Olympic Esports Games” coming in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
One of Bach’s protegees, new IOC chief Kirsty Coventry, who will be 42 on 16 September, has the advantage of youth, but also a front-row seat to what Bach did and didn’t do. In her presidential campaign, she promised more active roles for IOC members – many of whom were sidelined during Bach’s presidency – and that she would try to take the best ideas from the other six candidates.
The Friday announcement of four new working groups on high-tension topics for the IOC furthered both of those promises. Her introduction:
“As part of our ‘Fit For The Future’ process, I had announced that we would immediately begin the process of forming key working groups. The groups announced today are the start of that process. They will allow us to meet deadlines, and bring important technical expertise to these complex and important discussions, while realigning where we feel that it is necessary to strengthen our Movement.”
The four groups:
● Commercial Partnerships and Marketing Working Group: During her candidacy, Coventry noted that no one can say what the future of broadcasting will be, but that the IOC needs to be ready for it. This group “will look at the IOC’s existing programmes, platforms and systems, how it engages with partners, and how it can evolve and ensure that it is fit for today’s competitive market.”
Also – and this is important – “It will also explore how the capabilities of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and Olympic Channel Services (OCS) can be further leveraged to create future revenue generation.”
Translation: OBS and OCS will eventually be production companies for hire, potentially not only for sports, but also for programs which fit within the IOC’s value structure. Who better than to promote these services to the many parts of the United Nations or similarly-styled organizations than U.N. devotee, Bach, the IOC’s Honorary President for Life?
The Chair is Colombian IOC member Luis Alberto Moreno – born in Philadelphia – who was the national Minister for Economic Development from 1992-94 (his brother is U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio).. Two former IOC Presidential candidates are on this panel: FIS President Johan Eliasch (GBR) and Juan Antonio Samaranch (ESP), both of whom are highly energetic about this issue. For example, there is enormous opportunity to merge artificial intelligence, the Olympic star athletes of yesterday and today and gaming, for year-round entertainment and educational product lines that do not even exist yet.
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee President Gene Sykes is a member, as is Puerto Rico’s Richard Carrion, with deep financial backgrounds.
● Olympic Programme Working Group: “It will look to find a balance between the size of the Games, the relevance of the sports and disciplines, the integration of new sports and disciplines, and, potentially, identifying ways for sports to be added to or removed from the programme through a clear and transparent process. It will also consider the suggestion that traditional summer or winter sports could cross over, the timing of the Games, and the sports calendar.”
Makes sense, right? But this is a significant break for the IOC, as it already has an Olympic Programme Commission of 24 members. This new group has only one of those members – the chair, Karl Stoss (AUT) – who is also the head of the Programme Commission, which should guarantee some continuing of thought.
Where there was an emphasis under Bach on trying to contract the Games and keep the numbers of sports, events and athletes down, LA28 has expanded the 2028 Olympic Games to 36 sports, 351 events and 11,198 athletes. Brisbane 2032 is much more wary of expansion and this could be a way to help trim the Games further.
The task list is also a challenge to the Olympic Charter provision that Winter Games events must be held on snow and ice, and potentially opening the door to winter-season disciplines such as cross country running and cyclocross.
Among the panel members are IOC Presidential candidate Seb Coe (GBR), American member Allyson Felix, LA28 Coordination Commission head Nicole Hoevertsz (ARU) and equestrian federation chief Ingmar De Vos (BEL), who is also the head of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.
● Protection of the Female Category Working Group: “will look at how we can best protect the female category. The group will consist of experts and IFs. The names of the members of the working group will remain confidential for now to protect the integrity of the group and their work.”
Coventry promised that “protection of the female category” was a priority and she is making good on her commitment. The extreme sensitivity of the issue – ethically, legally and scientifically – will keep the group membership quiet for now, but who is involved will eventually be known.
The International Federations, especially World Aquatics, World Athletics and the Union Cycliste Internationale, have been in the front of this issue, among others. Further, World Athletics has underwritten scientific work in this area for decades.
Coventry said that the IOC membership wants to bring the Olympic sports world to some consensus on this issue, which has now flared into a political fight worldwide. While equestrian is fully a mixed-gender sport – the horses don’t appear to care – the questions in athletics and swimming can also be met with questions, for example, as to why shooting should have competition by gender, since it’s the pistols and rifles which do the work. Same for archery: the targets are 70 m away for everyone.
● Youth Olympic Games Working Group: “will look at the potential and relevance of the YOG. It will also take over the process for selecting the host for the 2030 YOG.” This is a split from the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad, which had been overseeing the Youth Olympic Games as well.
The YOG was created during the Jacques Rogge (BEL) presidency and was designed as a low-cost way to spread Olympic values to youth. As with everything in sports, the cost and complexity have grown quickly and while seen at one point as largely irrelevant, Bach rescued it by using the event as a living laboratory for new events and sports; breaking was such a hit at the 2018 YOG in Buenos Aires (ARG) that landed it on the Paris 2024 Olympic program. The 2026 event in Dakar (SEN) is seen as a way to have an Olympic event, short of an Olympic Games, in Africa.
Whether the YOG is still a good idea, or if something else would be better, is worth exploring. Slovakian Skeet star Dante Hrbekova, 40, who won a London 2012 Olympic women’s Skeet bronze, as well as the 2023 Worlds gold, heads the committee.
So, with Coe, Eliasch and Samaranch already named, that’s three of Coventry’s six challengers. If cycling boss David Lappartient (FRA) is on the protect-the-female-category team – quite possible – that would be four of the six, leaving out only Prince Feisal (JOR) and gymnastics chief Morinaru Watanabe (JPN). She may have other plans for them.
Bach installed a preference for action at the IOC, and Coventry is following that plan in her early days on the job. Now, will the results match the intentions?
Rich Perelman
Editor
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