PARIS, March 11 (Xinhua) -- As the International Olympic Committee (IOC) prepares to elect its next president next week, Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic champion and the only female candidate in the race, has emphasized the importance of maintaining the Olympic Movement's neutrality in global politics.

In an exclusive online interview with Xinhua on Monday, Coventry stressed, "It is essential that the IOC upholds its neutrality and ensures that politics does not interfere with athletes' opportunities to compete. We must also focus on protecting and supporting athletes from conflict-affected regions, ensuring their continued participation in the Games."

The 41-year-old Zimbabwean, who won two gold, four silver, and one bronze Olympic medals during her illustrious swimming career, has held key roles in sports administration since retiring. She currently serves as a member of the IOC Executive Board and as her country's Minister of Sport, Art & Recreation.

"I have been fortunate to experience the Olympic Movement from multiple perspectives - first as an athlete, then as a sports administrator, and later as a government official overseeing national sports policy," she said.

"This experience has helped me understand the challenges that athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and International Federations (IFs) face."

Now seeking the highest position in the IOC, Coventry emphasized that improving governance of the organization remains one of her top priorities should she be elected as its first female president.

"We would really need to look at all of our policies, ensure that they're up to date, that they're relevant, that they're transparent, and that they're based on our guiding principles and values," she noted.

She also emphasized that the role of IOC members should be more clearly defined, ensuring accountability within the organization.

Coventry, who has been involved in the planning for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, believes that ensuring sustainability of the Olympic Games is another key issue.

"We are already putting things in place to allow, let's take Milano Cortina next year, to be a little bit more spread out, to use existing police facilities within a region," she said. "We are no longer saying, 'you have to build X, Y, and Z' if that doesn't fit into your long-term strategy as a city or as a country."

She also highlighted the need for early engagement with host cities to ensure better long-term planning.

Reflecting on the progress made in gender equality, Coventry praised the historic gender parity achieved at Paris 2024 but acknowledged that more work remains.

"I think we've done a really good job on the field of play, but we need it to filter down. We need gender equality to really filter down into the National Olympic Committees, into the international federations," she said.

With the first Olympic Esports Games set to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027, Coventry stressed the need to modernize the Olympic Games to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.

"The way young people consume sports content has changed, and we must adapt by reaching them on digital platforms and embracing new forms of engagement," she said, highlighting esports as a major opportunity for connecting with new audiences.

"We want to understand the community. Hundreds of millions of youngsters play esports. The gaming world is so big, and we have recognized that as the IOC - that this could be a really great opportunity for us as a movement to share our values with this community.

"And even to learn from the community, it's not just about what we could bring to this community. It's also what the gaming community could teach us and what that could look like and what that partnership could be in the future."

Technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), also plays a crucial role in her vision.

"I really think that AI is going to be a game changer for the Olympic Movement. It's in so many different sectors of what we do, from delivering the Games to fan engagement," she said. "Hopefully, we can spend less, and that money that we're saving could go into better supporting athletes or NOCs or IFs."

As a former athlete who has navigated the transition from competition to governance, Coventry recognizes that reforms must align with the core values of the Olympic Movement while also embracing modern trends.

"We must continue to innovate without compromising these principles," she said.

Coventry also highlighted the importance of strengthening relationships with media and commercial partners, particularly through the IOC's TOP program.

"When fans are engaging with us, they should also be engaging with our TOP sponsors. This is what we are bringing to the table," she said. "One of the first things I would like to see when successful in Greece is to sit down with our sponsors and media rights holders to find out what they need from us, what we need from them, and how we do that together."

As the IOC presidential election approaches, Coventry remains focused on engaging with IOC members to discuss the future direction of the organization.

"I am treating this process like I would prepare for a major competition - by staying focused, listening to different perspectives, and refining my approach based on the feedback I receive," she said. Enditem