IOC chief 'to look' at Infantino over Trump links, hails Milan Games
· Yahoo Sports
Olympics boss Kirsty Coventry says she will see if FIFA president Gianni Infantino has broken any rules because of a deal with US President Donald Trump's new Board of Peace.
Visit amunra.help for more information.
Infantino, who is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), signed what FIFA described as "a strategic partnership to drive recovery and peace through football" with Trump's Board - which European nations see as an unwanted rival to the United Nations.
The Swiss was photographed in Washington wearing a red hat, the sort which has been synonymous with Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
"I wasn't aware that we had an IOC member front and centre," IOC president Coventry told her final news conference of the Milan Games on Friday when asked if Infantino was breaching the Olympic charter by not staying politically neutral.
"The Olympic charter is very clear on what it expects of its members."
The big controversy of the Games so far has been Ukrainian skeleton slider Vladyslav Heraskevych being banned from competing because he wanted to wear a helmet depicting athletes killed in the war with Russia.
Coventry did not want to go into details again on the case but referred to record broadcast and streaming figures, which she thinks demonstrates that the politically neutral Olympics are doing something right.
"When we look at just the pure viewership numbers that we are getting across the globe, it shows that the Games can unify people," she said.
Coventry was repeatedly annoyed with her team during the news conference for not being briefed on issues such as Infantino and a New York Times article alleging that the current Head of Russia’s anti-doping agency was involved in the 2014 Olympic doping programme.
"Maybe someone needs to be dismissed," Coventry said sternly as she said she had not seen the report.
'Surpassed everyone's expectations'
The IOC chief - in her first Olympics as IOC chief - was happier talking about the "amazing atmosphere" of the Milan/Cortina Winter Games, which end on Sunday.
Asked if they were too spread out and ahead of the 2030 French Alps edition which may be similar, she said: "These Games have been truly successful in a new way of doing things, in a sustainable way of doing things ... it has surpassed everyone's expectations."
She remarked on the fact that heavy snowfall had occurred in the mountains, just when pundits were saying winter sports look doomed in the future because of climate change.
"It felt like a true Winter Olympic Games really, it was quite magnificent, although the drive back maybe not so magnificent - it took a bit longer than expected in the snowstorm yesterday," she said having been up in the mountains the last few days.
Norway has again reigned supreme at the Games, racking up a Winter Olympic record of 17 golds to date.
Quizzed if Norway was too dominant, she replied with a smile: "The problem that I see is that we need to have an Olympic Games in Norway potentially."
The IOC also confirmed that neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus will be able to take part in Sunday's closing ceremony in Verona as individuals.
A handful of athletes from the two nations have been allowed to compete having shown they do not support the war in Ukraine.
Coventry would not comment on the separate International Paralympic Committee permitting Russia and Belarusian flags and teams colours at March's event.
The IOC Executive Board met before the press conference. Former Spanish basketball star Pau Gasol has been elected as chair of the Athletes' Commission. A full IOC Session takes place on Sunday.
President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry attends a press conference during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games. Peter Kneffel/dpa