WINTER OLYMPICS: Coventry hails her ‘debut’ Games as an all-round success
AIPS / MILAN: Kirsty Coventry has praised the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games as a “truly successful” edition that combined outstanding athlete performances, strong public support and record global engagement.
The president of the International Olympic Committee used her media conference ahead of the closing ceremony to thank the organising committee, volunteers and local communities across all host venues for delivering what she described as an exceptional Games experience.
Coventry, following her first Games after succeeding Thomas Bach, said: “I don’t think you can be leaving these Games not feeling inspired by what we’ve been seeing on the field of play. It’s been amazing across all the venues and all the villages. To all the volunteers working in all these areas, thank you. You have had huge smiles and huge welcomes wherever we’ve gone.”
She highlighted the atmosphere across the venues, pointing in particular to the biathlon competition, where 20,000 spectators created what she described as an extraordinary environment for the athletes.
Coventry said: “The atmosphere and the hospitality around all of the venues and the spectators have also been really incredible. Those athletes had so much energy to lean off and cheer from.”
She also reflected on time spent at mountain venues, describing the setting as delivering “a true Olympic Winter Games” experience. The debut of ski mountaineering drew particular praise, with Coventry noting the intensity of the event and the strong turnout of spectators despite heavy snowfall.
Addressing questions about the multi-cluster format, she said: “I’ve gone to every single village, and they are exactly the same.” Athletes had felt the more intimate Opening Ceremony experiences in smaller host communities had allowed closer interaction with spectators.
Coventry thought the model had demonstrated that the Games could be delivered “in a new way of doing things, in a sustainable way of doing things,” surpassing expectations. In addition, broadcast and streaming audiences had exceeded expectations globally. She also noted unprecedented digital engagement across Olympic platforms.
Coventry concluded that the Games had demonstrated the enduring power of sport to unite people across borders, adding: “You look at every single competition, and the athletes embrace each other. They respect each other. That, for me, is the greatest sign of peace, unity and respect.”
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