New Olympics chief Kirsty Coventry backs blanket ban for trans athletes from all feminine occasions – however faces questions over her position in ladies’s boxing scandal
The new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to face questions over her role in one of the biggest controversies in women’s boxing history.
Former Zimbabwean Olympic swimmer Kirsty Coventry, 41, was today elected as the new Olympics chief, pipping Lord Sebastian Coe and Juan Antonio Samaranch to the position.
The election means Ms Coventry has become both the first female and first African ever to have held the prestigious role with the IOC – making her what is commonly dubbed ‘the most powerful person in sport’.
But the 41-year-old, who recently backed a blanket ban for transgender athletes across all female categories and Olympic sports, is set to be grilled over her involvement on the participation of two female fighters in the Paris games last year.
Ms Coventry was part of the IOC executive board which approved the rules for the tournament where two fighters – Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting – won gold despite the International Boxing Association alleging they failed to meet gender eligibility.
The IBA’s ruling meant the fighters were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships, but the IOC board which featured Ms Coventry approved their controversial participation in the 2024 Olympics.
The newly-elected president was today asked on about her stance on transgender competitors under her leadership for the future, and said she wants to ‘protect’ female athletes.
‘My stance is we will protect the female category and female athletes,’ she said.
Former Zimbabwean Olympic swimmer Kirsty Coventry (pictured) was today elected as the new Olympics chief, pipping Lord Sebastian Coe and Juan Antonio Samaranch to the position
Ms Coventry was part of the IOC executive board which approved the participation of Imane Khelif (pictured) who won gold at last year’s Olympics despite the International Boxing Association alleging she failed to meet gender eligibility
Laurel Hubbard was the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics in 2021
‘I want to work together with the international federations and I want the IOC to take up more of a leading role.
‘We are going to bring everyone together to sit down and have a bit more input in the discussion.’
But Ms Coventry, who will take office on June 23 this year, is set to face further questions on the matter as the build-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games approaches.
There is set to be such scrutiny after Khelif’s participation in the 2024 games garnered significant public attention when the Algerian’s fight was abandoned after 46 seconds in by her Italian opponent Angela Carini.
Carini said she had to end the fight early to ‘preserve her life’, leading to criticism – including from JK Rowling, Elon Musk and Donald Trump – of the IOC for allowing the entry of a boxer who previously failed to meet gender eligibility criteria.
The furore also followed Taiwanese boxer Lin, whose inclusion at the Paris Olympics came after she was reported to have failed a gender test in 2023, leading her to be banned by the IBA.
Despite this, the IOC board approved her entry to the tournament, before she left her first opponent in tears following their bout.
The Algerian’s fight was abandoned after 46 seconds in by her Italian opponent Angela Carini. who said she had to end it early to ‘preserve her life’
Taiwanese boxer Lin’s inclusion at the Paris Olympics came after she was reported to have failed a gender test in 2023, leading her to be banned by the IBA
Despite this, the IOC board – which Ms Coventry was a part of – approved her entry to the tournament, before she left her first opponent in tears following their bout
There is set to be so many eyes on Ms Coventry’s next move after she supported a blanket ban on transgender athletes in female categories across every sport at the Olympics.
The former swimmer who is the most decorated Olympian from Africa, told in January how she backs an Olympic-wide gender policy that would prevent transgender women from being able to compete in female categories.
She said: ‘Protecting the female category and female sports is paramount – it’s a priority that we collectively come together.
‘There is more and more scientific research. We are not having a conversation about how it is detrimental to men’s sport.
‘That, in itself, says we need to protect women’s sport. It is very clear that transgender women are more able in the female category, and can take away opportunities that should be equal for women.’
The 41-year-old has also since addressed Khelif and Lin’s involvement in last year’s games, saying ‘lessons are always going to be learnt’.
‘I don’t believe this is something in hindsight we could have predicted, she added.
‘These boxers had bouts against each other and there hadn’t been previous issues.
‘When you have such a sensitive issue being put on the global stage you have to make sure that the athletes are being protected – that their rights are being heard – and that they are being protected on both sides.’
