Milan Cortina 2026, Kirsty Coventry: "We believe in the Olympic truce"

Former Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry, who was elected president of the International Olympic Committee last March 20 and took office the following June 25, experienced her first Olympic flame lighting ceremony in her new role in Olympia today and gave a speech on the significance of this ceremony.

“It is a great joy that today’s ceremony reminds us of what the Games represent-uniting people in peaceful competition, in friendship and respect. By lighting the Olympic flame for Milan Cortina 2026, we bring this light from the past to the present and into the future. And it is a shared future that we all desire. That is why we firmly believe in the idea of the Olympic Truce: putting aside our differences and hoping for a better future.”

“These Games come at a critical time in our history. In the divided world we live in today, the Games hold a truly symbolic place. And it is our duty and responsibility to ensure that athletes from around the world can come together peacefully, and that they can inspire the dreams and hopes of those who watch from around the world.”

Defining the true Olympic spirit, Coventry continued, “Athletes embody the values that unite us. They show the best of humanity, where on the field of competition there is no discrimination. This spirit can only flourish when every eligible athlete, team and official can participate. The Olympic Games will always exist to break down the walls that stand in our way.”

“The power of sport unites and inspires us. It also reminds us that each edition of the Olympic Games is part of a living tradition that connects generations, cultures and people across time,” concluded Coventry, who was a two-time gold medalist in the 200 backstroke at the Games in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, and in those two Summer Olympics she also took home four silvers and a bronze.