27 October 2025 – In her address to the International Federation (IF) Forum, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, highlighted the collective responsibility of the global sports community in ensuring that the Olympic Movement remains relevant and inspiring in an increasingly turbulent world.
“We all have the same purpose, and that is to ensure that our sports remain relevant, that we create platforms for athletes to realise their hopes and their dreams and to be able to live those hopes and dreams,” she stressed. “All of you in the room have the responsibility and the keys to unlocking the future dreams of athletes.”
The IOC President highlighted the importance of working together to protect the future of sport and the strength that unity brings: “We are faced today with many challenges and obstacles, and we are only going to be able to overcome them if we work together. My coach always used to tell me that we’re only as strong as our weakest link. So, to ensure that the weakest link is just as strong as you are, you work together, you embrace each other, you hold each other accountable, and you find ways to get stronger together. And this is what all of us in this room need to do. We need to ensure that we are strengthening our policies on the protection of athletes. We need to ensure that we are protecting, and finding new and innovative ways to uphold, our principles and values.”
President Coventry also acknowledged the diversity of opinions among stakeholders: “I am sure that many of you and I are not always going to agree in the next few years, but that is okay too, because just like a family, I hope we will always try to make decisions for the betterment and the strength of the family.”
On the need to remain meaningful and impactful for the next generation, Coventry said: “We want the next generation to be able to have faith in who we are. They have to trust us, they have to understand the policies we are putting in place. We have to show transparency and neutrality in how and why we are making decisions.”
At the outset of her presidency, Coventry launched a comprehensive consultation process with stakeholders across the Olympic Movement. Reflecting on this initiative, she said: “Our Movement has survived for generations. It survived wars, but it survived because we gave hope. And that is what we need to do and continue to do today. We need to ensure that all athletes from around the world have the ability to come to the Olympic Games, outlive their dreams and showcase the best of humanity. But we can only do that if we strictly uphold our principles and our values. These are some of the areas that I am really looking forward to discussing with you over the next few weeks. Thank you to all the IFs that have already shared their feedback on the surveys. We have had an enormous number of ideas, theories and opinions that have been shared with us. This is only the first step. Right now, we are pausing and reflecting. We are looking back, we are looking forward and we are analysing where we want to go.”
We want our Movement to be stronger; we want the athletes to show the best of humanity – and we need to do that together.
Kirsty Coventry, IOC President
ABOUT THE IF FORUM
The IF Forum 2025 kicked off today in the Olympic Capital, bringing together International Sports Federations for three days of high-level discussions and exchanges. Against the backdrop of geopolitical shifts, rapid digital transformation and changing expectations from athletes and fans alike, the Forum offers a platform for reflection, collaboration and the exchange of ideas. Over the next two days, participants will explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of sport, with a programme designed to spark dialogue and deliver practical takeaways.
