“Forward Together” and “Fit for the Future”: Coventry highlights shared vision for sport in the Americas
IOC President Kirsty Coventry was in Lima, Peru, to attend the Panam Sports General Assembly. In her keynote speech at the opening of the General Assembly, she highlighted the important efforts of Panam Sports under its President and IOC Member, Neven Ilic, to modernise in a fast-changing world.
Key facts
- IOC President Kirsty Coventry addressed the General Assembly of Panam Sports, held in Lima, Peru.
- She highlighted the alignment between the strategic directions of Panam Sports’ “Forward Together” and the Olympic Movement’s “Fit for the Future”.
- Coventry looked ahead to the Pan American Games Lima 2027 as a key stepping stone for many athletes from the region towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Coventry said that with its “Forward Together” strategic plan, Panam Sports is listening to its NOCs and collectively shaping its future, including in key areas such as athlete support, good governance, strengthening NOCs, the development of sport, revenue and brand, and digital transformation.
The IOC President said that this spirit closely reflects “Fit for the Future”, the strategic direction for the Olympic Movement adopted by the IOC Session in June this year. She thanked Panam Sports and the NOCs of the Americas for their contribution to the IOC’s consultation process, stressing the importance of listening to different realities across the Olympic Movement.
Coventry stressed that keeping athletes at the centre remains the starting point of “Fit for the Future”. She pointed to the recently announced Olympian Grant, the efforts underway to create a more balanced, relevant and sustainable Olympic sports programme, and the importance of protecting the neutrality of sport as key areas where “Fit for the Future” is already taking shape.
“With ‘Fit for the Future’, we have set the course for our Olympic Movement. With ‘Forward Together’, you are shaping the next chapter for Panam Sports. The names may be a little different. But the responsibilities are the same. The spirit is the same,” she said.
Because the future of sport is not something that simply just happens. It is something that we have the honour to shape – through the decisions we make, through the values we protect, and through the athletes we support.
She also spoke about the Pan American Games that will take place in Lima next year as a key step in the athlete pathway towards the LA28 Olympic Games. She noted: “In two years, the Olympic Games will return to the Americas. For athletes across this continent, LA28 is not a distant dream. It is a journey that is already happening. It’s already in motion.”
During her stay, President Coventry also joined the Panam Sports Executive Committee and met the members of the Panam Sports Athletes’ Commission.
The General Assembly, which was opened by the President of the Republic of Peru, Keiko Fujimori, brought together leaders of the region’s NOCs, athlete representatives and other Olympic Movement stakeholders.
Ahead of the General Assembly, President Coventry was welcomed by President Fujimori at the Government Palace in Lima. The two leaders spoke about the preparations for the Pan American Games Lima 2027, and President Fujimori reiterated the full support of her government for their success. The IOC President was accompanied by IOC Member Neven Ilic.
IOC Member in Peru Cecilia Tait warmly welcomed President Coventry to Lima and hosted her throughout the visit. During her stay, the IOC President also met the IOC Members attending the General Assembly: Neven Ilic, Nicole Hoevertsz, Damaris Young, Paula Pareto, Tricia Smith, Bernard Rajzman, Luis Mejia Oviedo, Camilo Perez Lopez Moreira and Gunilla Lindberg.