On Thursday, March 20, the elections of the new head of the International Olympic Committee at the 144th Session of the IOC in the Greek city of Costa-Navarino were held. Voted in closed mode. A candidate who gained the least amount of votes in every round..

Kirsti Koventry from Zimbabwe was chosen by the new president of the International Olympic Committee, as ZN, UA reported for 8 years with the possibility of re -election for another 4 years. . Kira will take office on June 24, 2025, NV reports.

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Kiresti Koventry is the first woman as president of the IOC. . After the career ended, she became the Minister for Youth, Sports, Art and Rest Zimbabwe.

The key issues of its election program were gender equality, struggle against doping, e -sports, the future of the Olympic movement.

In 2023, Coventry supported the position of Thomas Bach on the admission of Russians and Belarusians in the neutral status of competitions, in particular to Games 2024 in Paris, Sports reports.

“In the end, our Olympic values \u200b\u200bprovide for openness to everyone, so I agree with this first step. Let's see how it will work, ”said Coventry in a commentary for Inside the Games.

Already on the eve of the election of President, the IOC Kersti emphasized in communication with the media that the experience of games in Paris became positive.

“What we saw in Paris, in my opinion, was very honest. We told athletes from Belarus and Russia, which openly supported the war that they would not be allowed. This confirms our principle that everything at the games should be safe, ”Fox Sports quotes Coventry quoted.

She also emphasized that everyone should be able to compete at the Olympic Games: “The task of the IOC ensure that all athletes can compete in the Olympic Games. This will look different for different athletes, but in the end I believe that we must find the path of interaction with athletes from conflict zones, ”DW quotes Coventry quoted.

Kersti did not mention the question of the admission of Russians and Belarusians in their election program, it contains a part called “preservation of neutrality in the polar world”. In this part, in particular, it is indicated that the neutrality of the IOC is one of the strengths of the organization.

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Recall that in 2023 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a contradictory statement dedicated to the anniversary of the full -scale military invasion of Russia into Ukraine. .

The organization also noted that sanctions against the governments of Russia and Belarus, including the ban on the symbols of both countries, remain in force.

At the same time, the IOC said that the Olympics could become a platform for uniting the world. It is worth noting that recently the committee has been actively calling for the return of athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus to international sports. How will the head of the IOC act in this direction of the new head.