IOC boss Coventry defends Infantino’s closeness to Trump

A special, sometimes very critical dynamic has emerged between Trump and Infantino in recent years. During the World Cup draw in December in Washington, Infantino handed over the so-called FIFA Peace Prize to the US President, who would have liked to officially win the Nobel Peace Prize. According to comments on social and traditional media, many people found the spectacle on the FIFA stage strange.

Against the backdrop of Trump’s policies, the Olympic world is also struggling to deal with the USA, which will also host the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028. In the midst of recent events such as the US military attack on targets in the Venezuelan capital Caracas or Trump’s repeated claims to Greenland, there was “no formal communication with the White House,” Coventry said.

Vance and Rubio at the Olympic opening ceremony in Milan

The IOC noted Trump’s announcement that Vice President JD Vance with his wife Usha and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend the opening ceremonies of the Winter Games in Milan and Cortina. There are good discussions with the organizers of the next summer games in California. “Everything is going in the right direction,” assured Coventry.

The IOC had already countered isolated calls for the US team to be excluded from the Winter Games in Italy a few days ago. The umbrella organization cannot “interfere directly in political matters or conflicts between countries, as these do not fall within its area of ​​responsibility. This is a matter for politics. Our task is to ensure that athletes can take part in the Olympic Games regardless of their origin,” it said in a statement.