Coventry to chair IOC Commission for Brisbane 2032 Kirsty Coventry

LAUSANNE. — The International Olympic Committee yesterday announced the composition of its Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXXV Olympiad after electing Brisbane 2032 as Olympic, and Paralympic host last July. 

Five-time Olympian and two-time Olympic champion, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Kirsty Coventry, of Zimbabwe, will chair the commission. 

The most decorated Olympian from her continent, Coventry was the chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and, in this capacity, a member of the IOC executive board, from 2018 until earlier this year, when the IOC Session in Tokyo approved the change of her IOC membership status to individual member. 

Sixty-six percent of the Brisbane 2032 Coordination Commission members are women, with the number of female chairs of IOC Commissions now 12, out of 30. 

The Olympic Games Brisbane 2032 were the first to have been elected under, and to have fully benefited from, the new flexible approach to electing Olympic hosts. 

The new approach encourages sustainable Olympic projects that fit into long-term regional, and national strategies, while delivering the best possible Games experience. 

With an average age of 48, and with the addition of more recently-elected IOC members, the commission members will also bring a fresh perspective to the preparations. 

IOC president Thomas Bach said: “Kirsty Coventry is leading an exciting new generation of IOC members in this Commission. 

“As a double Olympic gold medallist and a former IOC executive board member, she has all the experience for this important task. 

“The commission will cooperate closely with the organising committee to deliver together sustainable, and economically responsible, Olympic Games. 

“These will be an exciting experience for the athletes and the fans, and have a solid legacy fully aligned with the IOC reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020+5.” 

Coventry described her appointment as an honour. 

“It is a great honour to be chosen to lead the Coordination Commission for Brisbane 2032. 

“As a five-time Olympian and former chair of the Athletes’ Commission, I will always put athletes at the heart of these Games. 

“Brisbane 2032 has an exciting concept which will deliver a great legacy for the region and the country but, most importantly, it will deliver great Games for the athletes and for the fans. 

“Working with such a dynamic Coordination Commission, we can help the organisers with our energy and experience to bring their ideas to life.” 

Coventry is already chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, and was a member of the Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission. 

She has been an IOC member since 2013.

Brisbane was confirmed as the 2032 Games host at the IOC Session in Tokyo on July 21. 

It was the sole candidate presented to the Session, having already been approved by the IOC Executive Board. 

It is the first time that Olympic hosting rights have been awarded under the new system, whereby a traditional bid race has been replaced by the IOC Future Host Commission identifying and proposing hosts to the Executive Board. 

The IOC Coordination Commission for Brisbane 2032 will be mainly made up of other IOC members who are not on the Executive Board, with representatives of the athletes, International Federations, National Olympic Committees and the International Paralympic Committee. 

In addition to the chair and vice-chair, there are two members from each continent. Other members might be added to the current core composition over the next 11 years until the Games.

Chair: Kirsty Coventry (ZIM)

Vice-Chair: Anita L. Defrantz (USA)

Members: Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud (KSA), Dagmawit Girmay Berhane (ETH), William Frederick Blick (UGA), Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski (PHI), Andrew Parsona (BRA), Federica Pellegrini (ITA), Camilo Perez Lopez Moreira (PAR), Auvita Rapilla (PNG), Jean-Christophe Rlland (FRA), Baklai Temengil (PLW).

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