Kirsty Coventry takes an interview with CGTN reporter Gao Junya on January 18 2022, in Harare, Zimbabwe. Picture: Supplied
Image: Supplied
By CGTN Gao Junya
The Zimbabwean sports minister and former Olympic gold medalist was elected as the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee. She became the first woman and African president to hold this prestigious position in IOC’s 131-year history.
This is not only a proud achievement for Coventry herself, but also for her nation, Zimbabwe, and the entire African continent. Her election is a powerful inspiration to people around the world, especially women, who see her as a symbol of perseverance, excellence and leadership.
Coventry’s victory has also been warmly celebrated in China as Zimbabwe’s “Golden Girl” enjoys a huge fan base here. Her athletic career is nothing short of remarkable: winning seven Olympic medals, more than anyone else from Africa, including one gold and three silvers medals earned at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
I had the privilege of interviewing Coventy in January 2022, just before she visited the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as an IOC member. She shared with me how Beijing means to her personally, especially the National Aquatics Center, also known as the "Water Cube", where she achieved some of her greatest Olympic successes.
And that iconic "Water Cube", transformed into an ice rink for the Winter Olympics, was something she was eager to revisit.
“Beijing has a warm place in my heart. Obviously, that's where I won my Olympic medals, a gold and three silvers. I'm excited to go back and cheer on our athletes of the world, watching athletes live out their Olympic dream, especially in the “Water Cube”, which will be interesting to see how different it looks now.”
During our conversation, Coventry also emphasized her dedication to promoting exchanges in sport, culture and art between Zimbabwe and China.
“Under my portfolio, it's not just sport, it's also art and culture. I think China does an incredible job of being proud of your culture and your heritage, and that's something that we're really trying to emphasize as a ministry.
"I'd love to be able to have a little bit more work alongside the Chinese counterparts to achieve a little bit more of that and learn from China in terms of how you structured your cultural lessons, your museums, things like that. That for me is really important in order to be able to have a strong identity as a Zimbabwean people, as a Zimbabwean culture.”
Coventry’s vision is reflected in her IOC presidential manifesto, where she advocates for using sport as “a bridge between countries and cultures, a source of hope, and a force for good.” She also pledged to tackle inequality in sports, with a strong focus on promoting women’s participation and ensuring equal opportunities for female athletes at every level.
What many may not know is that after retiring from professional sport in 2016 — having competed in five Olympic Games — Coventry launched a charitable initiative to provide sports education to underprivileged children. Her goal was to give young people a chance to discover their potential and pursue careers in sports.
Her actions have already made a meaningful difference in the lives of ordinary people. Now, as the new president of the IOC, Coventry has an even greater platform to bring about positive change. Her leadership promises to inspire and uplift not just Zimbabwe and Africa, but the global sporting community as a whole.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.