Sydney 25th Anniversary: IOC President Kirsty Coventry Remembers 2000 as a Spark
Before ascending to her current role as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry was an awestruck teenager at her first Olympic Games. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, which are celebrating their 25th anniversary, a 16-year-old Coventry advanced to the semifinals of the 100-meter backstroke and finished 18th in the 200 individual medley.
While Coventry was crowned an Olympic champion later in her career, that first experience served as a critical boost toward future success. Coventry, the first female President of the IOC, commented on her Olympic debut in a statement that was released earlier in the week.
“Sydney was more than just my first Olympic Games. It was the spark,” Coventry said. “I celebrated my 17th birthday on race day, met Muhammad Ali in the Olympic Village, and fell in love with lamingtons (an Australian cake). But more than anything, I felt the power of the Olympic spirit.”
Coventry followed her Olympic debut by competing at the next four editions of the Games – 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. She captured back-to-back gold medals in the 200 backstroke at the 2004 and 2008 Games and also captured four silver medals and a bronze medal between Athens and Beijing. But that first appearance is remembered by Coventry as a key launching point.
“For me, Sydney laid the foundation for everything that followed – Athens, Beijing, London, Rio,” Coventry said. “And now, for me as IOC President, it helps guide how I think about Brisbane 2032. I know what’s possible when a country embraces the Olympic Games with heart and purpose. I know the impact they can have on a young athlete, on a community, on a generation. Sydney was the beginning. Brisbane will be a new chapter. And somewhere out there, a young girl is watching, dreaming and preparing to write her own story.”
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