Photo/Illutration Kirsty Coventry, right, then chair of the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and IOC President Thomas Bach at a news conference on protests against racial discrimination in 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The new head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will confront significant challenges in leadership and management as the organization faces a complex array of issues.

The IOC, tasked with organizing and overseeing the Olympic Games and broadly engaged in the world of sports, elected Kirsty Coventry as its new president during its recent general meeting.

She is set to assume office in June, marking the first time in the organization's 130-year history that the role has been held by either a woman or an African.

This historic election signifies a transformative shift within the IOC, though it undoubtedly heralds a demanding tenure given the myriad of challenges the organization currently faces.

Persistent rumors had circulated that outgoing President Thomas Bach, whose two-term, 12-year tenure was drawing to a close, might seek re-election. However, he declared his resignation at the IOC's general meeting in August.

In the absence of a clear front-runner, seven candidates threw their hats into the ring to succeed Bach.

The IOC's presidential election process involves multiple rounds of voting, continuing until a candidate achieves an absolute majority. In each round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.

Although many anticipated a protracted contest, Coventry won a majority in the initial round, surprising many observers.

Coventry's unexpectedly decisive victory in the first round of voting seems to have been bolstered by strong support from the female members, who now constitute 40 percent of the more than 100 IOC members with voting rights.

This significant backing likely played a crucial role in her first-round win.

Among the candidates, several proposed raising the membership age limit from 70 years. However, the current system was implemented as a reform measure following the resignation of former President Juan Antonio Samaranch, whose tenure of more than 20 years was marred by widespread corruption.

Against this historical backdrop, the continued progress in IOC and Olympic reforms, without regression, is noteworthy.

Morinari Watanabe, the first-ever Japanese candidate for IOC leadership, secured only four votes, failing to garner broad support.

The newly elected president, a 41-year-old from Zimbabwe in southern Africa, brings a historic shift to the IOC. She competed in five Olympic Games as a swimmer, earning seven medals, including two golds.

Since joining the IOC as an athlete member in 2013, she has risen to the executive board and also served as her country's sports minister.

However, her leadership remains an open question. Her platform was notably sparse, largely centered on promises to continue the policies of the outgoing president. Reports suggest she had the backing of Bach during the election.

Unless she distances herself from his authoritarian leadership style—epitomized by his insistence on holding the Tokyo Olympics during the COVID-19 pandemic—restoring trust in the Olympics and the IOC will be a formidable challenge.

The immediate hurdles for the new IOC leader revolve around the significance and value of hosting the Olympics. Ensuring transparency and fairness in the selection of host cities is particularly critical.

While reforms centralizing this power within the executive board have reduced corruption, they have also heightened concerns over the opacity of the process. Additionally, addressing climate change, including the intensifying summer heat and dwindling winter snow, demands urgent attention.

In three years, the Los Angeles Olympics will be held in the United States, where President Donald Trump has introduced policies opposing gender transition.

Navigating the sensitive issue of gender diversity will be another pivotal test for the IOC’s new leadership.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 22

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