Buenos Aires — International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board member Kirsty Coventry has been appointed as chairperson of the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games co-ordination commission.
The former Zimbabwe swimmer, a two-time Olympic champion, was announced as chair by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach at the Session here today.
Her appointment follows the decision to award the fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games to the Senegalese city yesterday.
It will be the first time an Olympic event has been held in Africa.
Bach claimed the appointment of IOC Athletes’ Commission chair Coventry followed their recent efforts to place athletes at the heart of the organisation of the Youth Olympics.
IOC Athletes’ Commission vice-chair Danka Bartekova is the head the co-ordination commission for the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games.
“I have just been appointed chairperson of the Senegal Youth Olympic Games co-ordination commission 2022,” Coventry tweeted.
“This means I will be working even more closely with our Senegal family to create a successful African Olympics.” The appointment continues Coventry’s growing portfolio of roles following her appointment as Zimbabwe’s minister of Sport last month.
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As well as the chairing the IOC Athletes’ Commission, Coventry also sits on the International Testing Agency Board, World Anti-Doping Agency Foundation Board, Olympic Solidarity Commission and Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission.
Having been elected to the IOC Athletes’ Commission at London 2012, Coventry’s eight-year term would come to an end at Tokyo 2020, two years before Dakar 2022.
This suggests Coventry may potentially be considered for a possible change in her IOC membership status to individual member following the end of her current term.
This would enable her to continue to chair the commission.
The 2022 Youth Olympics will take place in capital city Dakar, the new city of Diamniadio and the coastal resort of Saly, between May and June following the rubber-stamping by the IOC Session.
The IOC evaluation commission, chaired by IOC vice-president Uğur Erdener, chose Senegal ahead of Botswana, Nigeria and Tunisia.
May or June has been chosen as the dates for the event as Erdener claimed this would reduce the risk of tropical diseases in the country. — Insidethegames
