This followed a question by a Kenyan journalist on whether the few African journalists covering the IOC election event meant anything to Kirsty Coventry, the IOC president-elect.

Elias Makori from Kenya: Barely any African journalists are covering these elections. I doubt if there is a Zimbabwean journalist here. Does that give you …show you the Challenge you have to spread the African Olympic movement? Do you think Dakar 2026 will be a good place to start? What are your thoughts about it? Perhaps in your presidency? Is Africa getting a chance of being voted to host an Olympic Games? Thank you.

Kirsty Coventry: First and foremost, I think Dakar 2026 is, as they have said, is gonna be welcoming the world. I have been chairing that commission for the last few years, and I’m really proud and excited about the work that they’re doing. And I know it’s gonna be an incredible time for the world to see who we are as Africans, and what we mean, and what we stand for, and how we are willing to embrace everyone.

And in terms of the work, there’s always work that we need to do. But this honour that I have been given will allow us to have greater reach into new regions and shine a light on new regions. And this is part of the uniqueness of the Olympic movement, the diversity that we all have. And I truly believe that this decision today shows the universality and the globalness of our movement.