New IOC president lauds Beijing's Olympic legacy, highlights technology’s role in future sports development

Kirsty Coventry, the new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), on Friday lauded Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and emphasized the critical role of technology in shaping the future of sports.

Kirsty Coventry was elected as the 10th president of the IOC on Thursday, making history as the first woman and the first African to lead the global Olympic movement.

The election was conducted through a secret ballot by over 100 IOC members during the 144th IOC Session in Greece. The 41-year-old Zimbabwean, who won the vote in the first round, will officially take office after June 23, succeeding Thomas Bach, who has served as president since 2013.

Having achieved one of her proudest athletic milestones at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Coventry, a two-time Olympic champion swimmer, said on Friday in an interview with the China Media Group (CMG) that she holds a deep and special connection to Beijing

Coventry spoke highly of Beijing's remarkable distinction as the only city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, highlighting how the adaptive reuse of venues reflects China's strong commitment to preserving and enhancing the Olympic legacy.

"I am always very happy to come back to Beijing, it holds a special place in my heart. I swam as an athlete in 2008 in Beijing and won my medals and it was an incredible experience. And then I got to go back in 2022 for the winter Olympic Games where my swimming pool was turned into the curling and it was incredible to see how a venue can be adapted and re-utilized and that shows a lot of emphasis on legacy," Coventry said.

She emphasized China's focus on the long-term planning of sports events and facilities, noting that this approach offers valuable lessons.

She said that enhanced cooperation between the IOC and China can further contribute to leaving a lasting and meaningful legacy for the advancement of the Olympic Movement.

In response to a question about the rising costs of hosting the Olympic Games, which place economic pressures on host cities, Coventry noted that she has proposed a series of practical reform measures to address the issue.

"We need to pick up the pace a little bit and identify new ways. And this is again where I think sectors like technology is really going to play an important part just in terms of how we communicate with each other, how we communicate with fans, how we can leverage digital twinning," Coventry said.

Coventry, who is expected to take office on June 24, said her focus will be on how to leverage the legacy left by President Bach in the future.

"The legacy and the strong foundation that President Bach is leaving for us. And how are we going to leverage that into the future, and what is that going to look like? Those are the conversations that I'd like to focus on in these next few months," she said.

New IOC president lauds Beijing's Olympic legacy, highlights technology’s role in future sports development

New IOC president lauds Beijing's Olympic legacy, highlights technology’s role in future sports development

A group of Japanese peace activists gathered outside the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Friday to protest the government's push for constitutional revision and the lifting of a ban on lethal weapons exports.

The Japanese government officially revised the "Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology" and related implementation guidelines on April 21, allowing overseas sales of weapons, including those with lethal capabilities.

Kyodo News, a Japanese news agency, said the changes mark a significant shift in the country's defense policy, noting that it has long touted itself as a "peace-loving nation" under its war-renouncing Constitution since its defeat in World War II.

The protesters accused the Takaichi administration of lifting the export ban without sufficient debate or deliberation in the National Diet.

"Without full discussions in the National Diet, the government just arbitrarily decided on arms exports and made various excuses for it. Also, regarding the incident of intrusion into the Chinese embassy, the government has not issued an apology. Japan should be on friendly terms with neighboring countries, yet it engages in actions that incite confrontation. [Constitutional revision] is truly disturbing. Especially nowadays, the Liberal Democratic Party and Prime Minister Takaichi are pushing for arms exports in order to build a nation capable of waging war. This is absolutely unacceptable," one female protester said.

"As a matter of fact, it [lifting the ban on lethal weapons exports] was arbitrarily decided by the cabinet without any consideration of people's opinions. Revising the pacifist constitution will undoubtedly harm Japan's national interests. I sincerely hope that the Takaichi administration will stop this practice," a male protester said.

"Article 9 of Japan's constitution has gradually, to some extent, been distorted by various faits accomplis. While Japan is nominally a 'peaceful country,' this is not the case in reality," another female protester said.

Protesters rally in Tokyo against arms exports, constitutional revision