IOC's Kristy Coventry pauses 2036 Olympics hosting contest in 1st big decision of her presidency
India's push toward winning the 2036 Olympics hosting contest seemed to stall a little on Thursday in the first big decision of Kirsty Coventry's IOC presidency.
Article content
Coventry paused the fast tracking of a preferred bidder — a signature policy of her predecessor and mentor Thomas Bach — in a concession to International Olympic Committee members who have wanted more say in decisions under new leadership.
Article content
Article content
Article content
'Members want to be engaged more in the process' of picking Olympic hosts, Coventry acknowledged, citing 'overwhelming support' at meetings this week to stop and review how it is done and when.
Article content
India has been seen as gaining momentum in the 2036 race that involves at least 10 bidders in talks including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Istanbul in Turkey.
Article content
In her third full day in office, Coventry promised to create two working groups — to look at how hosts are chosen, and a second analyzing how to 'protect the female category' after controversy in women's boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Article content
Los Angeles Olympics
Article content
The two-time Olympic champion swimmer also restated a principled vision ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in the city of Los Angeles, which U.S. President Donald Trump this month called 'a trash heap.'
Article content
'We see the best of humanity, we see compassion for others' in Olympic values, Coventry said at a news conference after chairing her first executive board meeting over two days.
Article content
'If we can celebrate in the diversity that we are, and that we have, we can really work towards creating something great,' the former sports minister of Zimbabwe said, pledging to try to inspire young people.
Article content
Olympic officials from LA met with Coventry's board Wednesday and promised a 'unity of effort' in the city where the Trump administration deployed military forces after street protests against immigration raids.
Article content
'There is so much goodwill from all levels of government,' Coventry insisted, including federal.
Article content
'That gives us faith,' she said, that a platform for the Olympics 'will be there for us to ensure that our values are stuck to but that our values will also be heard.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Senators acquire defenceman Jordan Spence from Kings in exchange for picks
OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators acquired defenceman Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. In exchange, the Senators are sending a 2025 third-round selection (67th overall) and a 2026 sixth-round selection (via Colorado). Spence had 28 points (four goals, 24 assists) with a plus-23 rating in 79 regular-season games for the Kings in 2024-25. The 24-year-old is entering the final year of a two-year contract he signed with Los Angeles last summer, with an annual average value of US$1.5 million. Spence was a fourth-round selection (95th overall) by Los Angeles in the 2019 NHL Draft. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The five-foot-11, 180-pound blueliner has 61 points (eight goals, 53 assists) in 180 career games. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.
National Post
5 hours ago
- National Post
2025 NHL Draft: How will the Canucks draft in rounds 2 to 7?
Whatever happens Friday night for the Vancouver Canucks in round one of the NHL Entry Draft, we know this much: They will make selections in the rest of the draft, which continues Saturday morning. Article content This year's draft is an unusual affair, with teams making their picks remotely rather than in years past where they all assembled on a common draft 'floor,' usually an arena, although last year at The Sphere in Las Vegas and in its original 1960s and '70s form at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. Article content Article content Article content Friday night's big show is at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles and league officials will run the remainder of the draft from there. Article content Canucks GM Patrik Allvin and his chief scout Todd Harvey will call their picks in from the team's offices at Rogers Arena. Article content As of Friday afternoon, the Canucks will pick 47th, 65th (originally San Jose's pick), 143rd, 175th and 207th. Article content How the picks will play out is anyone's guess. Article content A few round-by-round notes: Article content 47th overall (round two) Article content It's hard to believe a team in the Canucks' position has had so few second-round picks over the past decade, but here we are. Article content They haven't picked in the second round since 2021, when Jim Benning rolled the dice on Danila Klimovich, passing up on the likes of Logan Stankoven. Article content Klimovich had an impressive World U18s in front of Benning — that tournament was in Texas, and you'll recall Benning's return was how we learned he and some of his colleagues had somehow scored a national interest exemption from quarantining upon return — but has yet to play in the NHL. He's shown growth in the AHL, but remains a longshot to be an NHLer. Article content Article content Stankoven, on the other hand, has played NHL games in Dallas and was a key piece in the Mikko Rantanen trade. Article content Article content As a counter, the previous second-rounder was Nils Höglander, selected in 2019, who has proven to be a solid NHLer. Article content Beginning in the fourth round, the chances of finding an NHL player really start to dive. The last time the Canucks drafted a player after the fourth round who played NHL games was Adam Gaudette in 2015. Article content Gaudette was actually the fourth time in five years the Canucks found NHL games in the fifth round, following Gustav Forsling — who obviously never played in Vancouver — Ben Hutton and Frankie Corrado.
Winnipeg Free Press
9 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada's Aaron Brown: Grand Slam Track brought platform, professionalism to sport
It was meant to be quite the finale in the City of Stars this weekend. Instead, the inaugural Grand Slam Track season came to a halt with the cancellation of its final leg in Los Angeles earlier in June. The league became a talking point and a source of excitement for track athletes signed to Grand Slam Track, especially those from North America. It provided an opportunity for athletes to compete against the best without having to travel overseas. Toronto sprinter Aaron Brown, who competed in the most recent event in Philadelphia, feels the league brought something greater to the sport for Canadians. 'For athletes in Canada or athletes in America, being able to just stay within the country or go to Jamaica somewhere on this similar time zone, you know, not having to go overseas it's a huge benefit,' he said. 'It allows us to have better performances too because you're not having a deal with such jet lag, … you don't have to show up (to the meet) super early you can train a little bit longer and harder and be in your the comfort of your own home for a longer time.' Michael Johnson, the founder and commissioner of Grand Slam Track, said the league is looking ahead to 2026 and beyond. 'Sometimes we have to make moves that aren't comfortable, but what's most important is the future and sustainability of the league,' he said as part of a statement. Brown says the opportunity is there for fans in North America to get used to the faces of the sport's stars that will be at the 2028 L.A. Olympics. 'I think meets like the Grand Slam are finally going to get us to that point where we can take advantage of it,' he said. 'Especially heading into L.A. 2028, that's a huge opportunity for people to get used to who the stars are going to be in L.A., get an early look at them, and be able to follow them into their, into the journey to that meet. 'Which is huge because it adds a narrative and incentive for you to pay attention. And so I just think that if track and field wants to have a professional league, this is the best way for them to do it. And, you know, I'm invested in their success.' Seven-time Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., is another one of Canada's stars to have competed in Grand Slam, in addition to 2023 800-metre world champion and 2024 Olympic silver medallist Marco Arop, who competed in both the 800 and 1,500 as a short-distance racer. Arop stood out among the Canadian cohort, winning the 800 races in the three Grand Slam events held. Although he didn't fare as well in the 1,500, Arop was among the top point-getters in the short distance group, finishing no lower than second and being first at the Philadelphia event. Competition aside, Brown said Grand Slam Track provided things that are not typically offered at other meets. Brown said locally-sourced snacks were provided, on top of a drip check done to shoot athletes and display their outfits. Collab posts to helped athletes push each other's audiences. He also said athletes got their own rooms for accomodations, were given per diems that were provided 'to go select the food ourselves,' and that the prize money was 'significantly more than any other meet that's available to the athletes.' 'I think at the very least, it gave us the blueprint of how a meet could be run and what's possible,' Brown said. 'Getting out of that myopic viewpoint that we have to follow the same model and do things that we've been doing for decades that has led to stagnation in the sport and not allow us to evolve and grow and adapt like all the other sports have. 'So, I think just showing that athletes can be at the forefront. We have stars in our sports, and the more support we get behind it, the bigger it's going to be.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.
