IOC's Coventry pauses 2036 Olympics hosting contest in 1st big decision of her presidency

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 26, 2025 11:51 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

India's propulsion toward winning the 2036 Olympics hosting contention seemed to stall a small connected Thursday successful the archetypal large determination of Kirsty Coventry's IOC presidency.

Coventry paused the accelerated tracking of a preferred bidder — a signature argumentation of her predecessor and mentor Thomas Bach — successful a concession to International Olympic Committee members who person wanted much accidental successful decisions nether caller leadership.

"Members privation to beryllium engaged much successful the process" of picking Olympic hosts, Coventry acknowledged, citing "overwhelming support" astatine meetings this week to halt and reappraisal however it is done and when.

India has been seen arsenic gaining momentum successful the 2036 contention that involves astatine slightest 10 bidders successful talks including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Istanbul successful Turkey.

In her 3rd afloat time successful office, Coventry promised to make 2 moving groups — to look astatine however hosts are chosen, and a 2nd analyzing however to "protect the pistillate category" aft contention successful women's boxing astatine the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The two-time Olympic champion swimmer besides restated a principled imaginativeness up of the 2028 Summer Games successful the metropolis of Los Angeles, which U.S. President Donald Trump this period called "a trash heap."

"We spot the champion of humanity, we spot compassion for others" successful Olympic values, Coventry said astatine a quality league aft chairing her archetypal enforcement committee gathering implicit 2 days.

"If we tin observe successful the diverseness that we are, and that we have, we tin truly enactment towards creating thing great," the erstwhile sports curate of Zimbabwe said, pledging to effort to animate young people.

WATCH | CBC Sports' Karissa Donkin details Coventry's predetermination as IOC president:

Olympic officials from LA met with Coventry's committee Wednesday and promised a "unity of effort" successful the metropolis wherever the Trump medication deployed subject forces aft thoroughfare protests against migration raids.

"There is truthful overmuch goodwill from each levels of government," Coventry insisted, including federal.

"That gives america faith," she said, that a level for the Olympics "will beryllium determination for america to guarantee that our values are stuck to but that our values volition besides beryllium heard."