Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry prepares to take Olympic body's top job

Zimbabwean Olympic swimming champion and future president of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, has officially handed over oversight of preparations for the 2032 Games in Brisbane.

During a three-day inspection visit to the Australian state of Queensland, she handed over responsibility to Filipino equestrian Olympian, Mikaela Cojuangco-Jaworski.

"I’m here to formally hand over the baton, or the Olympic flame - boomerang - over to Mikee over here who is stepping in as co-com chair,” she said.

Coventry made her Olympic competition debut at the Sydney 2000 Games and has family living in Australia.

She said she felt right at home after chairing the coordination commission since soon after the IOC awarded the Games to Brisbane in 2021.

“I’m very excited about what Brisbane 2032 is going to do. Not just for the region, but for Australia and for the world,” she said.

It took more than 1,000 days and at least three major concept changes before a newly elected Queensland state government settled on a comprehensive venue plan in March.

That includes a new 60,000-seat stadium and an aquatics centre to be built in parklands close to downtown Brisbane, as well as proposals to share events with regions outside the capital.

President of the local organising committee, Andrew Liveris, said venue construction was likely to begin later next year.

He added that he was confident that the main building programme would be completed at least a year before the Games.

Coventry is the first female, first African, and youngest person to head the Olympic body. She takes over as IOC president next month.