Kirsty Coventry, elected president of International Olympic Committee this month, is an outspoken critic of transgender women – men – competing against women in the Olympics.
The former Olympic swimming champion, who is from Zimbabwe, is also the first female president to lead the IOC and the first IOC president from the African continent. She is also the youngest at age 41.
With the next Olympic games coming in the winter of 2026, what is bringing worldwide attention to Coventry, however, is her well-known stance on female athletics. Interviewed by daily newspaper The Australian before the IOC election, Coventry said “every single human being” should have access to sports regardless off their gender.
“But when it comes to competing at the Olympic Games, and in international competitions,” she added, “there is just two categories: male and female.”
M
edia outlets reported Coventry beat out six rivals in the first round of secret ballot voting to become IOC president. One of the defeated candidates told reporters much of Coventry's support came from other females.
Track-and-field athlete Steve McConkey, who leads sports ministry 4Winds USA, has followed the Olympics closely since the 1980s. After watching transgender athletes damage Olympic competitions starting in 2003, now more than two decades ago, he has been publicly pushing for a sane policy that bans transgender athletes ever since.
With the election of Coventry, who must bring any policy change to the entire International Olympic Committee, he sees hope for the games.
“I think she's going to lead this effort and I think that she'll get it,” he tells AFN.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Olympic games, McConkey predicts policy discussions over transgender athletes could be coming this summer. That is when the IOC begins to discuss and debate new rules for the upcoming games.
“So I look for her to move on that as quick as possible,” he says. “It's a big lightning rod issue but I think the world is changing.”
